NYC Pride Demands Apology from NYPD for Stonewall Raid
NYC Pride, the nonprofit responsible for organizing World Pride 2019 in New York, has issued a press release concerning the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. In it, the group asks that Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill formally apologize on behalf of the NYPD for the police raid that sparked the Uprising.
"Under Commissioner O'Neill, the NYPD has made significant strides in improving relations with LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers," the release reads. "But the Department has yet to take responsibility for the decades of police violence committed against our community in New York City. Taking responsibility and apologizing for this single event is a small, albeit meaningful step towards improving the larger systemic issues that continue to cause significant harm to LGBTQIA+ people, especially transgender people and people of color. It demonstrates what is possible for the future of our community and our movement."
NYC Pride offered their stage at the Stonewall 50 Commemoration Rally on June 28 for Commissioner O'Neill to speak.
Corey Johnson, the openly gay Speaker of the New York City Council, spoke on the matter to 1010 WINS: "The NYPD in the past has apologized for other incidents that have occurred, so I think the NYPD apologizing on this would be a very, very good thing, and it's something they should do."
In response, Commissioner O'Neill told 1010 WINS: "The NYPD of today is much different than the department of 50 years ago, and a number of important changes have been implemented that bring the police and all the communities we serve closer together."
The NYC Pride press release ends with the statement: "Commissioner O'Neill and the NYPD, the eyes of the world are on our city, and we call upon you to show what real change can look like."
NYC Pride's World Pride 2019 will last the whole month of June, and the full schedule is available here