Governor: 200 more state troopers will be in Rochester tonight
National Guard will be on standby
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said 200 state troopers will be in Rochester tonight and the National Guard will be on standby after a night of looting in the city.
Cuomo said he supports peaceful protests against police brutality and systemic discrimination.
But he said breaking into businesses and burning down buildings makes no sense and dishonors the memory of George Floyd, who died on Monday while be held down by a Minneapolis police officer. The officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes while Floyd was down on the ground.
Floyd was accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill.
“Mr. Floyd was not violent,” Cuomo said today at a noon press conference. “That’s what makes the killing more outrageous. When you are violent, it creates a scapegoat to shift the blame. It allows someone to tweet about looting instead of murder by a police officer. It furthers the politics of division.”
Destroying neighborhoods, in protest of Floyd’s death, insults Floyd’s memory, the governor said.
“It dishonors Mr. Floyd’s death,” Cuomo said. “Mr. Floyd was not violent.”
