Arabnews24.ca:Friday 1 January 2021 01:27 PM: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio danced into the new year in Times Square, despite telling residents to stay home due to Covid-19, making him the latest politician to be slammed for ‘do as I say, not as I do’ tactics.
De Blasio was one of the select few allowed into Times Square in New York City on New Year’s Eve. While it is almost always bustling with people as crowds gather to watch the famous ball drop, this year saw police barricading the area off and officials telling people to enjoy the festivities on television due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The mayor angered many, however, when he was seen celebrating and dancing with his wife. The visual has not sat well with his critics, who struggled in 2020 to control rising crime rates – 447 homicides this year, making it the deadliest in 10 years – and spikes in Covid-19 – over 25,000 deaths and 430,000 cases. Many have also protested the mayor for the city’s strict lockdown restrictions, which have kept numerous businesses closed.
Also on rt.com ‘It’s like the Twilight Zone’: Times Square set to be empty for New Year, with crowds BANNED for first time in over a century“Mayor DeBlasio and wife celebrate the New Year by dancing in Times Square on the graves of all the closed businesses,” conservative pundit Lori Hendry https://twitter.com/Lrihendry/status/1345006690165522433 in reaction to video of the mayor’s good time ringing in the new year.
“He closed down Times Sq for his personal use. And the idiots in NYC voted for this,”https://twitter.com/johncardillo/status/1345013912945766400 journalist John Cardillo.
— Lit News Network (@litnewsnet) https://twitter.com/litnewsnet/status/1345017772997304334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) https://twitter.com/catturd2/status/1344980364553498624?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwDe Blasio even found himself a target of criticism on the night of New Year’s Eve as Andy Cohen, who was co-hosting holiday festivities for CNN, saw the mayor dancing and expressed disgust on live television.
“I just don't need to see that in the beginning of 2021,” Cohen said.
“Do something with this city! Honestly, get it together!” he later shouted at the mayor.
The display earned Cohen plenty of praise from de Blasio’s critics on social media.
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1344875054102929409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) https://twitter.com/bdomenech/status/1344876679177633793?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwBefore making his way to Times Square, de Blasio warned residents to stay home, but he promised New Year’s Eve would be a “joyous night, if ever there was one.”
Juanita Holmes, chief of patrol for the NYPD, told New Yorkers to enjoy the festivities from “the comfort of your own home.”
“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for everyone to stay home,” she said.
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