New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daughter Chiara de Blasio was arrested at a Manhattan protest on Saturday night as demonstrations over the police killings of George Floyd and other Black men and women continued to flare around the nation.
A police source told HuffPost that Chiara de Blasio, 25, was taken into custody at 10:30 p.m. at Broadway and 12th Street for unlawful assembly. She was issued a desk appearance ticket and released.
“If you went out peacefully to make a point about the need for change, you have been heard and change is coming in the city,” Bill de Blasio said at a press conference late Saturday. “I have no doubt about that. It’s time to go home so we can all move forward.”
As thousands participated in demonstrations across New York over the weekend, protesters in some locations were seen blocking traffic, setting fire to police vehicles and clashing with police. According to The New York Times, police officials said they made more than 780 arrests during three days of protests.
Many of the protests in New York were peaceful, however, violence broke out in some areas and was met with an increasingly heavy-handed response from police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets. On Friday, videos circulated of a New York Police Department vehicle accelerating into a crowd that was pushing a barrier against it and throwing debris.
De Blasio did not mention his daughter’s arrest during a Sunday morning press briefing. City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.