The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has been on “high alert” since this Wednesday, redoubling the presence of officers in some religious venues, due to the growing violent tensions in the Middle East, which coincide with the celebration of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana). There is another coincidence, on this day: Mayor Eric Adams again attended a hearing in Manhattan Federal Court, where prosecutors indicated that “new charges” could arise in the accusations of corruption and influence peddling against him.
These two variables once again lit the “fire” of those who wonder if, under this great judicial pressure, the municipal president will have time to face all the challenges of governing a city with so many internal and external security challenges.
In parallel, in the Plaza de Las Américas in Upper Manhattan, a group of Hispanic leaders from associations of wineries, small businesses, barbershops and beauty salons held a rally in support of Adams, under the argument that his eventual resignation, in this precise moment, it would put at risk the security advances that the Big Apple has had.
“Those who are rubbing their hands to remove the mayor are the same ones who promoted the pro-criminal laws that caused impunity and the escalation of robberies and assaults that have overwhelmed our merchants. With Adams, we have had some progress. He has been on our side. And those who hope to replace him are left-wing extremists who only want to take funds and power away from the Police,” said Francisco Marte, president of the New York Small Business and Winery Association.
Mayor, don’t resign!
For his part, Luis González, a winemaker from the Little Dominican Republic, also joined the act of supporting Adams, under the premise that it would be “disastrous” for the City to fall into the hands of elected leaders and legislators at this time. , who have taken the side of crime and not the working class.
“Every day people enter our stores, with violence, to take our merchandise, because they know that now stealing less than $1,000 in New York is not a crime. We ask Adams not to resign. Let him continue fighting. We have the risk that crime will destroy small merchants if those who are pressuring their exit take power,” said the Dominican.
Associations of African and Islamic merchants joined this protest.
Spokespersons for this coalition recalled that when many small merchants were economically suffocated by the pandemic, they were also burdened by the looting promoted by anti-police movements. And those who pulled the strings of these violent acts are many of the “progressive activists”, who now want to have total control of the Mayor’s Office.
This was stated by the merchant Luis Collado, who urged the municipal leader to remain standing and not give way to pressure, which wants to get him out of the way.
“This is a country of laws. And there is a presumption of innocence, until proven otherwise. We believe that he has the possibility of defending himself and continuing to govern at the same time. As small businesses, we do not want to imagine that more power is taken away from the police,” he stressed.
“He has a lot on him”
For others, it will be very difficult for the mayor to overcome this accumulation of accusations and the pressure it means that every week, senior officials continue to abandon his government team.
In fact, The New York Times in an editorial urged the mayor to leave office: “If he remained in office, he would have to guide a City Council that is now adrift, while facing a months-long judicial process that will consume his attention and time. Concerns about his ethics and integrity would surely raise serious doubts in potential replacements.”
In the streets of Upper Manhattan, the Dominican, Narciso Gutiérrez, who follows the news about this case, describes in his own words that the Democratic president “has a lot on his plate.”
“I cannot say if he is innocent or guilty, but given the accumulation of accusations he has, it is difficult to imagine that the time will not come when he has to resign,” he commented.
In this horizon, the Ombudsman, Jumaane Williams, as contemplated in the Magna Carta of the City, would have the first option to assume the mayor’s office in the face of a decision by Adams, which no one knows if he could be rushed in the face of political pressure that grows and grows. .
A very complicated process
Mayor Adams is formally accused by the Southern District of Manhattan prosecutor’s office of using his position in government to obtain benefits such as luxury trips and elegant dinners from wealthy business leaders, including at least one Turkish government official. Also for having violated the electoral campaign financing law, by having received illegal donations from foreign officials.
In exchange, Adams allegedly provided favors, including helping Turkey obtain Fire Department approvals, to open a new diplomatic skyscraper in Manhattan, despite concerns about fire safety.
At his formal appearance last week, the mayor pleaded not guilty and was released without bail. He denies any wrongdoing and says he will not resign. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 45 years in prison.
For others, like Colombian nurse Nazareth Padilla, for “much less” other elected officials in the country have resigned.
“I think for the good of the city, he should step aside. No one can keep their heads in such a complicated trial, where the prosecution has already turned over a lot of evidence. And manage this chaos, the immigration crisis, which he himself caused, when he misinterpreted the rules of shelters and staying in hotels and giving three meals to everyone who arrives. That will be his great inheritance,” said Nazareth.
Adams: Zero Tolerance
In the midst of this storm of accusations and while addressing the challenges of his defense, the New York mayor does not seem to have a pause in his government agenda. At least that’s how he’s tried to project it.
As the Jewish community prepares and celebrates the peak holiday season, it also marks one year since the October 7 terrorist onslaught, one of the most devastating attacks to have taken place in Israel.
Starting this Wednesday, municipal authorities announce a special surveillance plan for religious worship sites of the Jewish community and the deployment of additional cameras in sensitive places, which will complement the 80,000 tracking units of the Police Department’s domain system. New York City (NYPD).
“We will ensure a rapid response to any act of violence and any call for service. “We know there are significant protest plans for October 7, and while we will respect people’s right to peacefully protest, there will be zero tolerance for those who violate the law,” the mayor announced.
As the Jewish community prepares for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the City announces that it is taking measures so that these religious activities can be done safely.
New Yorkers can expect an increased police presence at key locations and places of worship, and will notice more of them in uniform. These measures will last until the Christmas holidays.
Likewise, NYPD Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon reported that throughout the year, they have been working on a security plan, with direct input from the Jewish community.
“This doesn’t start weeks before. There is a strategy that has been in the works for over a year. This dialogue will continue over the next few weeks,” he said.