Civil rights leader the Rev. Calvin Butts criticized New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday over the mayor's handling of the recent race protests and police relations.
Appearing on "The Cats Roundtable" on
AM 970 in New York, Butts told host John Catsimatidis that de Blasio has rejected his offers to bring local religious and business leaders to meet in City Hall.
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Protests have been ongoing in the city after a Staten Island grand jury in early December declined to indict a white police officer in the death of Eric Garner, who died during an arrest over selling untaxed cigarettes. And two NYPD officers were shot to death in their patrol car just before Christmas by a man claiming to be avenging the deaths of Garner and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
"There needs to be a voice that recognizes the grief on both sides and tries to pull our city together. I did not see – nor do I see now – that the mayor is accomplishing that task," Butts said.
De Blasio must reach out to other black leaders and not simply rely on the Rev. Al Sharpton, he said.
"There is no one person who gives leadership to my community, the African-American community," he said. "Many of them feel as if their voices have not been heard. … I think the mayor has to broaden his audience of advisers and people he talks to. I think it’s too narrow right now."
Butts said he has never had problems meeting with any mayor in the past, including Rudolph Giuliani.
Butts said de Blasio’s behavior is "unbelievable," and that’s one of the reasons it will take a a while "get some sane conversation before we bridge the gap between even the community and the police."
It is wrong, he added, to paint police with a broad brush and insinuate that most officers are racist.
"As much as I’ve criticized bad cops, I have to also say that I tip my hat to the brave men and women who protect my community and all communities in the city," Butts said.