After seeing a tweet by a Democratic Brooklyn councilman on his positive encounter with a member of the Bloods gang, Republican Assemblyman Joe Borelli and others who took offense to the post took to social media to blast its author.
Councilman Jumaane Williams posted on Twitter on Saturday after attending an Eric Garner protest, saying he had met with a few dozen protestors.
“Most powerful moment a brother from the Bloods came up 2 me and said we’re here 4 the movement, “for peace” & “I wish more homies were here,” Williams wrote.
Shortly after, Borelli tweeted, “When a @NYCCouncil member is proud that a BLOODS GANG MEMBER is part of the movement, its time to pack it in. A new low for anti-#NYPD hate.”
Williams, who represents the 45th council district, which covers Flatbush, East Flatbush, Flatlands, and parts of Midwood and Canarsie, tweeted to Borelli, “next time ill explain to him that he is incapable of change or productivity and he should just continue his destructive ways.”
He wrote, several tweets later, that the Bloods member offered help with gang intervention and gun violence work.
Borelli also took to Facebook to blast the Democrat, posting a screen grab of Williams’ tweet with Borelli’s comments.
“When a prominent NYC Council Member posts on his Twitter that it’s a “powerful moment” when a BLOODS GANG MEMBER is protesting for the movement, I am now starting to think that all hope is lost in NYC,” Borelli wrote. “I do not know what to say to the vast majority of #NYPD who just want to do their job in peace… Or to the majority of NYers who (should) see the Bloods street gang as more of a threat than a police officer…. (Not to mention, the Bloods KILLED two NYPD detectives on SI 10 years ago)… Is it time to just wave the white flag and give up? You tell me…. Please share this so all our neighbors can see this in their newsfeeds. #statenisland”
Williams said in a phone interview that it’s the wrong mindset to not embrace a former criminal who wants to change. He blamed the pushback he got on “historical divides” between those who live in communities that must face real crime issues and those who don’t.
He said he’s not making an excuse for bad behavior, but rather pushing for positive change when a person has the desire to evolve.
He pointed to groups like Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes — GMACC — as a positive outlet for former gang members who want to help others leave the gang life.
“Who better to be a messenger?” he said.
In a phone interview, Borelli said, “The notion that the Bloods can add some type of value to a protest movement in the same way that NYPIRG, the NAACP, Make the Road New York, is just foreign to me. I just don’t see it … The Bloods are a criminal gang that executes police officers.”
To view the original article, click here.