New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he will not attend the inaugural ceremony this week, a decision that has sparked protests.
De Blasio, who is running for reelection next year, said on Twitter that he would not be attending the festivities in Washington, D.C. He said that, given the “serious issues facing our country,” he would instead instead focus on issues that he felt could affect New Yorkers.
DeBlasio was referring to the opioid crisis and the deaths of people in the country illegally.
His remarks came on the same day that protesters marched in Washington and Philadelphia.
Deblasio has been one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump, who has often called for a nationwide moratorium on Muslims entering the U.S. and a ban on refugees from certain countries.
De Blasio’s announcement comes after protests in several major U.s cities in recent days, including Philadelphia and New York.
Demonstrators staged a sit-in outside the White House last week and then turned their attention to the inauguration ceremony.
DeBLASIO SAYS NO TO DEMOCRATS AT THE INITIAL EMBASSY: pic.twitter.com/6t6ZQKzXj0— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 16, 2021DeBlasi also said that he will continue to work with local elected officials on matters of public safety, including addressing the “crisis of guns in our communities.”
DeBlasio is a Democrat, and Trump, as a candidate, promised to put an end to the nation’s epidemic of gun violence.
He also said he would appoint a commission to study gun violence, something the president has refused to do.
