As City Prepares For Commuting Hell, De Blasio Heads To German Protest

MANHATTAN, NY — Is he leader of New York City or the head of the revolution?

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday he was skipping town to go protest the G20 summit in Germany this weekend – just days after an NYPD officer was murdered in The Bronx and as the city prepares for the beginning of the "Summer of Hell" commuting chaos expected to begin Monday.

De Blasio, who is running for his second term as mayor, abruptly announced his travel plans a day after NYPD officer Miosotis Familia was gunned down as she sat inside a mobile command post in the Bronx. The 12-year NYPD veteran was "assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops" police commissioner James O'Neill said.

De Blasio's spokesman Eric Philips said that the plans for the mayor's travel were finalized as soon as it was confirmed that it would not conflict with Familia's funeral.

De Blasio is expected to give the keynote address at an anti-G20 Summit rally in Hamburg on Saturday. President Donald Trump and numerous other world leaders are in Germany for the summit, which will also be the site of the highly-anticipated first meeting between Trump and President Vladimir Putin.

Tens of thousands of protesters are also there, with violent clashes between them and police occurring throughout the day Thursday.

De Blasio's decision was derided by President Donald Trump's son, who Tweeted that the mayor should focus on New York City.

And one of de Blasio's opponents for re-election, Republican Nicole Malliotakis, told the Daily News, “Taxpayers deserve to know how much this is costing them and why the mayor refuses to do his job.”

Lead image via Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty Images News.