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“This is not a black thing”
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“This is not a black thing”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ first press conference after being indicted on federal charges was interrupted by a rioter who called the former police officer a “disgrace” to the black community.

“This ain’t no black thing, this is a you thing,” the man shouted through a bullhorn just as Adams appeared outside his Gracie Mansion home.

“This is your thing, Eric Adams,” he continued. “This is not a black thing. Your policies are anti-black, you are a disgrace to all black people in this city. The things you have done are unconscionable. Our children are being harassed by the police. This is ridiculous, this is ridiculous. You can shut me up all you want, but the people are behind us. This is not a black thing, this is a justice thing.”

Adams is accused of fraud and bribery, among other things, in connection with illegal campaign gifts from the Turkish government. Prosecutors say the gifts included airline tickets, hotel rooms and meals, with a total value of more than $100,000.

“This was a multi-year scheme to buy favors from a single New York City politician who was on the rise: Eric Adams,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said at a news conference. “Year after year, he kept the public in the dark.”

Williams said Adams tried to hide the gifts but it was a “clumsy cover-up.”

Prosecutors say in exchange for the gifts, Adams pressured the New York Fire Department to allow construction of a new Turkish consulate despite security concerns.

The investigation began in 2021, though prosecutors say Adams received illegal gifts as early as 2014, when he was a senior official in Brooklyn.

Adams has said he will remain in office despite calls for him to resign. He is the first sitting mayor of New York City to face criminal charges.

During Thursday’s conference, where he was able to speak despite frequent interruptions by shouters, Adams urged the audience to suspend judgment.

“I ask New Yorkers to wait to hear our defense,” he said.

He continues to maintain that he is the target of his fight against injustice.

“We expected this,” Adams said. “This is not a surprise to us at all.

“The actions that have unfolded over the last 10 months with the leaks, the commentary, the demonization — it has not surprised us that we have come to this day,” he said.