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‘You are a disgrace for all Black people in this city!’ Adams loudly heckled at presser

September 27, 2024 | | Print Article

New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a news conference on Thursday after being indicted on criminal corruption charges for allegedly taking bribes and illegal campaign funds from foreign sources and was met with a small army of hecklers.

Setting a wall of black support behind him, the Democratic mayor was adamant that he would not step down amid calls for him to resign, urging New Yorkers to wait until he presented his defense before they cast any judgments.

“No, no. Listen, I’m here, I was elected by the people of this city,” Adams said. “This is a city that is extremely resilient. This is a city, we have gone through some difficult and hard times and we are going to continue to move forward as a city.”

Though surrounded by black clergy members, Adams was subjected to hecklers, with one man calling out, “You are a disgrace to all Black people in this city.”

Another protestor called out, “This is not a black day. This is a justice day!”

“He’s not resigning. He’s not quitting. We’re standing behind him,” a supporter said from the lectern as protestors cried out, according to The Hill.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was at the forefront of those calls, posting on X: “I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City. The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration. For the good of the city, he should resign.”

“We are not surprised. We expected this,” Adams said of the indictment. “This is not surprising to us at all. The actions that have unfolded over the past 10 months, the leaks, the commentary, the demonizing, this did not surprise us that we reached this day.”

“I ask you to wait and hear our side of this narrative. From here, my attorneys will take care of the case so I can take care of the city,” he added. “My day-to-day will not change. I will continue to do the job for 8.3 million New Yorkers that I was elected to do.”

Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on the social media platform X:

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