h. nazan ışık—

13 June 2016—

Mayor de Blasio: “We are on high alert. (…) We are vigilant.”

New York was getting ready for the 59th Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday, 12 June. People learned from news that about 2:00 am in a LGBT nightclub which was having a Latino Night, in Orlando, Florida, Omar Mateen, a 29 year old American citizen, killed 49 people, and injured 53.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade took place on 5th Avenue. Mayor Bill de Blasio marched in the the parade too.

Following the parade, Mayor de Blasio, the NYPD’s Chief of counterterrorism James Waters, and Police Chief James O’Neil spoke to the press on 5th Avenue and 79th Street.

© h. nazan ışık

(From left to right) James Waters, (Chief of counterterrorism), Mayor Bill de Blasio, and James O’Neil (Police Chief), talked to the press.

“For the people in New York City, I want you to know that at this point there are no credible threats directed against New York City,” said Bill de Blasio.

“We don’t know all the details, but we do know it was directed at an LGBT club and that was a club that was having a Latino Night. So, the investigation will look into all of the motivations, but from what we can see now both an act of terror and an act of hate,”

And continued: “We are on high alert. (…) We are vigilant…  So, you will see a lot of additional police presence on the streets of this City. You’ll see additional police presence in some of the heavy-trafficked areas of our city today. You’ll see police presence in front of some key LGBT community institutions.”

NYPD Chief of Department, James O’Neill said: “And with the graduating class on July 1st we will have 1,300 more cops on the street thanks to the Mayor and City Council. We’re going to increase uniform presence in nightlife throughout the City in crowded venues. (…)Now, it is a time for all the people in the United States to come together and work together and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

About the coming Pride Week Mayor de Blasio said: “And we have the strongest anti-terror capacity we’ve ever had in the history of this City. So, we will make sure they are safe.”

“Our thoughts and our prayers are with all the families and with the people of Orlando. And once again, we stand in solidarity, as New York City knows so well what this feels like to be the victim of a terror attack, “ added Mayor de Blasio.

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