Eric Garner Supporters Arrested At Gracie Mansion Protest

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Five protesters were arrested Thursday night in front of Gracie Mansion as protesters continued to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio to fire the officer accused of choking Eric Garner to death exactly five years ago.

A small but determined group of dozens of protesters marched on the Upper East Side in a demonstration that marked the third of "11 days of outrage" over the U.S. Department of Justice's decision not to bring a civil-rights case against NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo and de Blasio's refusal to fire the officer.

"We're here today because for 1,827 days the mayor made a conscious decision to allow Daniel Pantaleo to enrich himself off of the murder of Eric Garner, We're here today because for 260 weeks this mayor has denied administrative justice to the family of Eric Garner and to the entire city of New York," Arc of Justice minister Kirsten John Foy said Thursday.

De Blasio, who was hosting a reception for Harlem Week at Gracie Mansion, did not come outside to address protesters. The mayor did meet with members of Garner's family such as his mother Gwen Carr and daughter Emerald ahead of the protest.

"I wanted to directly provide the family with an update as to the next steps in the City's disciplinary process. Even as they are feeling so much anger and pain, I wanted them to know they are seen and they are heard," de Blasio said in a statement.

De Blasio said that he expects the NYPD to conclude an internal disciplinary trial, which may lead to Pantaleo being fired, in August. Despite pressure from activists and fellow Democrat politicians, de Blasio has insisted he does not have the power to fire a single officer and has often brought up the issue of Pantaleo's "due process."

The mayor's statement also cited a number of police reforms made by his administration such as the extreme reduction of stop-and-frisk searches, conflict deescalation and implicit bias training for police officers and the neighborhood policing program.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who was one of two politicians at Thursday night's rally alongside Upper West Side City Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, said that police reforms are good but greater accountability is needed.

"There has been improvement. It is not the same police department there was before. The problem is that areas where we haven't seen movement is accountability and transparency. And none of the reforms will be met with smiles while Daniel Pantaleo is on the force," Williams said.

Williams also suggested an unexpected person for de Blasio to emulate: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The public advocate cited Giuliani's decision to fire NYPD officer Francis Livoti for the 1994 death of Anthony Baez and the former mayor's willingness to defend his decision in court as precedent for de Blasio's ability to fire Pantaleo.

"That's the stance of Rudy Giuliani — who none of us here think is progressive — and we have to say 'at least be like him,'" Williams said.

Thursday night's protest was organized as part of a campaign of "11 days of outrage" led by the Arc of Justice. Hundreds of people marched on City Hall Wednesday night, and protesters said that Friday's demonstration will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Garner's daughter Emerald said Thursday that her family will not stop fighting for Pantaleo to be fired and for all the police officers involved in the arrest that led to her father's death five years ago be held accountable.

"I definitely let Mayor de Blasio know that this will not stop. Call me in a meeting and say what you want to say — you can say it's not on you it's on this person — but just know that we're shutting this city down," Emerald Garner said. "We're not rioting, we're not going to be violent, but guess what — no peace."