New York City police may strike on July 4 to give city ‘independence without cops’
New York City police officers appear to be planning a strike on July 4 in response to calls to defund police departments across the country.
The New York Post reported that two messages are circulating throughout the city’s police department encouraging officers to stay home on Independence Day.
One of the messages says the strike will begin at 3pm on July 4.
‘NYPD cops will strike on July 4th to let the city have their independence without cops,’ the message reads, according to The Post.
‘Cops that say we can’t strike because of the Taylor Law…The people and this city doesn’t honor us so why honor them,’ the message continues, referencing a law that makes strikes illegal for public workers who can be punished with jail time or fines.
The second message comes with the tag #Bluflu and tells cops to call out on Independence Day.
‘Police officers like you and me took an oath to protect strangers regardless of race, class or gender. Today we are vilified and must stand as one.’
The message goes on to give instructions for calling out sic, telling officers to call their precinct and ask for a sick day. If they are denied, they were told to call the main NYPD sick desk. If that course of action does not work, the officers were then instructed to go to work, then ask for an ambulance to go home sick.
‘If you are held because of the #Bluflu, request a bus and go sick from command,’ the message reads.
It is unclear of the flyers were written by officers and the president of the New York City Police Benevolent Associaation, Patrick Lynch, told The Post the ‘blue flue’ has been a joke for decades, but ‘the situation we are in right now is now joke,’ he said, adding that New York City police officers ‘have reached the breaking point.’
‘Over the past few weeks, we have been attacked on the streets, demonized in the media and denigrated by practically every politician in this city. Now we are facing the possibility of being arrested any time we go out to do our job.’
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