A New York City Councilman suggested that President Donald Trump should revoke benefits, given out during the coronavirus, to suspected looters arrested during riots around the country following the death of George Floyd.
New York City Councilman Joseph “Joe” Borelli (R-South Shore) recently had a conversation with Trump, suggesting that stricter punitive measures need to occur to stop looters from destroying the city, SI Live reported.
“Witnessing looters emptying Apple stores and exiting the store only to be violently assaulted and robbed by other criminals has shaken the confidence of everyday New Yorkers who are afraid to travel to work, hospitals, and shop for necessities,” Borelli said.
Borelli is specifically calling for Trump to “revoke” the $600 federal supplemental unemployment insurance benefit for rioters arrested for looting.
“It is unfair and unacceptable that people who are furloughed from retail stores are receiving the same supplemental benefit as those who are smashing and looting retail stores, and I hope this can be addressed immediately,” he said.
Protests began in New York City and across the country over the weekend following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in police custody, after a policeman spent nearly ten minutes pinning his knee on Floyd’s neck.
As protesters confronted the police, looters and rioters took advantage of the situation to destroy and vandalize buildings.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said Wednesday that they arrested 290 people for looting and protesting overnight.