Mayor Bill de Blasio said he’s proud of his daughter after she was arrested over the weekend for participating in the New York City protests over George Floyd’s killing last week.
Chiara de Blasio, 25, was arrested Saturday evening after police declared an unlawful assembly in the area around 10:30 p.m. A source told the New York Post she was blocking traffic during the protest.
“That was a real hot spot. Police cars were getting burned there. People were throwing and yelling, fighting with cops. There were thousands of people in that area at that time,” the source said.
Her father addressed her arrest during a press conference Monday.
“As has been reported, my daughter, Chiara, was arrested at a protest. I want you first to know — and I think many, many parents can appreciate this: She’s 25 years old and did not inform Chirlane and I of her intention to get arrested,” he said.
She has since been released.
The mayor said he and his wife reached out to their daughter when they learned of her arrest to have her recount what happened.
“Look, I love my daughter deeply. I honor her. She is such a good human being. She only wants to do good in the world. She wants to see a better and more peaceful world. She believes a lot of change is needed,” he said.
He added, “I’m proud of her that she cares so much that she was willing to go out there and do something about it. She recounted the story in detail to me. She was acting peacefully.”
Protests and riots have swept across the country in the last week. The protests began as people demanded justice for Floyd’s death after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck during his arrest. Chauvin has since been fired and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
