HALL
HALL HERE
HALL HERE ON >>> IT IS 5:30 AND TIME FOR OUR
DAILY TOWN HALL HERE ON CHANNEL 2. FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF
MONTHS WE HAVE BEEN TAKING THIS
HALF HOUR TO ANSWER ALL THE
QUESTIONS YOU HAD ABOUT THE
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
THIS WEEK WE ARE PIVOTING JUST
A BIT.
>> WE ARE TRYING TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT THE UNREST
IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SO MANY
PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY
FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF GEORGE
FLOYD.
WE WANT TO TRY TO HELP MAKE
SENSE OF WHAT IS GOING ON AND
DISCUSS WAYS TO HELP IMPROVE
OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE THIS A
BETTER AND SAFER PLACE TO LIVE.
>> LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KATHY
HOKLE IS EXPECTED TO ADDRESS
THIS FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE
AND ALSO PROVIDE MORE
INFORMATION ON PHASE TWO OF
REOPENING WESTERN NEW YORK.
WHICH STARTED TODAY, OF COURSE.
AND WE WILL BRING YOU HER
REMARKS JUST AS SOON AS THEY
BEGIN.
BEFORE WE GET TO OUR GUESTS, WE
WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME NOR
INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATE OF
EMERGENCY RIGHT NOW IN ERIE
COUNTY AND TONIGHT'S CURFEW.
>> IT BEGINS AT 8:00, AS FAR AS
THE CURFEW, AND ENDS AT 5:00
TOMORROW MORNING.
IF YOU ARE ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL
SCHEDULED TO WORK DURING THESE
HOURS, YOU ARE EXEMPT FROM THE
CURFEW.
WE GOT SOME DETAILS AND THE
SPECIFIC WORDING ON THIS FROM
THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
THAT MEANS YOU CAN STILL REPORT
TO WORK, BUT YOU SHOULD CARRY
YOUR WORK BADGE OR SOME TYPE OF
IDENTIFICATION IN CASE YOU ARE
STOPPED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S TALK ABOUT
WHAT IS HAPPENING.
WE ARE JOINED BY A -- THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US HERE AT 5:30
THIS EVENING.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR
TAKE ON THE PEACEFUL PROTEST
SATURDAY NIGHT THAT THEN TURNED
VIOLENT.
WERE YOU SURPRISED AT WHAT YOU
SAW HAPPEN?
AND SECONDLY, WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THE MAYOR'S DECISION TO NOT
PUT A CURFEW IN PLACE RIGHT
AWAY UNTIL THINGS FULLY CALM
DOWN?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, ON THE
PROTEST, I'M RATHER EXCITED, TO
BE VERY HONEST, TO HEAR VOICES
OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO
TALK ABOUT REFORM IN A POSITIVE
WAY.
I CAN'T SAY I WAS
TOTALLYSURPRISED ON THE
VIOLENCE BECAUSE WE SAW IT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN SOME
OTHER TIME ZONES.
SO I WASN'T TOTALLY SURPRISED
BUT DISAPPOINTED IT OCCURRED.
BUT WITH THAT SAID, WHAT I WAS
ENCOURAGED ABOUT IS THAT LOCAL
PEOPLE WERE TELLING PEOPLE FROM
OUTSIDE OF BUFFALO TO STOP IT.
DON'T BREAK WINDOWS.
I THINK, IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR
THE LOCAL PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE
WHO REALLY JUST WANTED TO
PROTEST AND NOT TEAR UP, I
THINK WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH
WORSE SITUATION ON OUR HANDS.
ABOUT THE CURFEW AND NOT
DECIDING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A
MOVING TARGET, LITERALLY.
YOU THINK YOU HAVE INTELL ON
ONE THING AND THEN SOMETHING
RISES UP.
YESTERDAY'S PEACEFUL PROTEST
WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE VIOLENT.
SOME THINGS OCCURRED, FROM WHAT
I'M TOLD.
SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT EVEN
WITH THE PROTEST BEGAN TO ACT
OUT.
BUT IT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE
VIOLENT.
I THINK THE MAYOR MADE THE
DECISION THAT HE THOUGHT WAS
BEST FOR THE CITY LAST NIGHT.
>> REVEREND, WE ARE LOOKING AT
VIDEO RIGHT NOW FROM LAST
NIGHT.
SOME HAVE QUESTIONED THE AMOUNT
OF FORCE USED BY POLICE.
OF COURSE TODAY CAPTAIN JEFFREY
SAID THAT OFFICERS HAD OBJECTS
THROWN AT THEM.
THEY HAD ORDERED THE CROWD TO
LEAVE MANY TIMES.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF WHAT IT
DEVOLVED INTO LAST NIGHT FROM
THOSE PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM
WHERE ARE TOLD WERE NOT EVEN
TOLD OF THE PEACEFUL PROTEST
THAT HAD HAPPENED EARLIER IN
THE DAY.
>> I MEAN, LAST NIGHT SOME OF
THE EVENTS WERE TRAGIC.
PERIOD.
NO EXCUSE.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE
AND TRY TO MAKE AN EXCUSE FOR
ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED
ILLEGALLY.
IT WAS THIS MORNING THAT I
RECOGNIZED THAT A WHOLE
COMMUNITY THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE
IN THAT COMMUNITY WHO GOT IT.
YOU KNOW, I JUMPED UP, I PUT ON
MY PAINTERS OUTFIT TO GO OUT
AND THINKING THAT I WAS GOING
TO BE ONE OR TWO OF THREE TO
CLEAN UP.
AND I WASN'T.
I WAS MET WITH PEOPLE FROM THAT
COMMUNITY TO CLEAN IT UP WHO
DID NOT CAUSE THAT DESTRUCTION.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT AND
THEN YOU HAVE RESPONSIBLE
PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT DURING THE
DAY, THAT SPEAKS A LOT THAT,
THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CITY IS NOT
SIMPLY OUT OF CONTROL.
BUT THERE ARE SOME ADULTS?
AND IT WASN'T JUST ADULTS.
THERE WERE ELECTED OFFICIALS,
HOMEOWNERS PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE
OF THE CITY THAT CAME BACK IN.
LAST NIGHT WAS TRAGIC, SOME OF
THE EVENTS.
BUT I DON'T THINK, WHAT I HOPE
WE NEVER DO IS TO PAINT THE
ENTIRE EVENT AS NEGATIVE
BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS, THE
NEGATIVE ACTIONS OF SOME.
>> REVEREND, AS AN ELECTED CITY
LEADER AND PASTORAL LEADER IN
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY,
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO THIS
NEXT GENERATION OF ACTIVISTS
HERE IN BUFFALO WHO ARE
CONCERNED THAT THEIR GATHERINGS
MIGHT BE HIJACKED FROM THOSE
OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY AND DOING
THE LOOTS AND SETTING FIRES AND
CAUSING MAYHEM AND REALLY
DISTRACTING FROM THEIR MESSAGE?
>> I THINK WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT
IS THAT THOSE OF US ARE A
LITTLE BIT MORE SEASONED, THOSE
OF US THAT HAVE CONNECTIONS
WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WE KNOW
MAY BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG,
EVEN DURING PROTESTS, IS THAT
WE HAVE TO EDUCATE.
WE HAVE TO EDUCATE, EDUCATE,
EDUCATE.
THAT THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED
AND ACTUALLY SOME OF THE
GREATEST MOVEMENTS CAME OUT OF
PROTESTS.
HOWEVER, THEY CAME OUT OF
EDUCATED PROTESTS.
I'M MEETING TOMORROW WITH ONE
OF THE PROTEST LEADERS THAT I
GOT REACHED OUT TO.
I WAS LIKE LET'S GET TOGETHER.
LET'S TALK.
LET'S HEAR.
SO THAT HE CAN EDUCATE ME, I
CAN EDUCATE HIM AND WE CAN
EDUCATE ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE
IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
TEARING UP YOUR OWN CITY DOES
NOT GET YOU THERE.
BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR, I KNOW
THAT THEY NEED ORGANIZERS OF
THE PROTEST DID NOT HAVE THAT
IN MIND.
AT LEAST THE ORGANIZERS OF
LATE.
SOME ORGANIZERS DON'T KNOW WHO
THEY ARE.
SO IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO
ADDRESS IT.
BUT FROM THOSE WHO ARE FROM
THIS AREA, I KNOW THAT THEIR
HEARTS WERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE
AND THEY JUST WANT TO BE HEARD.
>> REVEREND, I WANT TO ASK THE
CONTROL ROOM REAL FAST.
I BELIEVE THE LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR IS COMING OUT, GETTING
READY TO SPEAK.
WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
IF YOU CAN STAND BY FOR A
MOMENT, WE WANT TO GET BACK TO
YOU.
BUT RIGHT NOW LET'S LISTEN IN
LIVE WITH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
KATHY HOCHUL.
>> THE SECOND THING I WOULD
LIKE TO ADDRESS IS THE PAIN AND
SUFFERING BEING FELT IN OUR
COUNTRY TONIGHT.
SADLY IT TOOK ANOTHER MURDER OF
AN INNOCENT BLACK MAN TO FORCE
THIS AWAKENING.
WE WILL NOT LET THIS MOMENT
PASS WITHOUT LONG OVER DUE
SYSTEMIC REFORMS TO BRING
EQUALITY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
SINCE OUR FOUNDING FATHERS, THE
ABILITY TO PROTEST AND
CHALLENGE SOCIETY AND
GOVERNMENT IS ONE OF THE RIGHTS
WE CHERISH MOST.
I WILL DEFEND ANYONE'S RIGHT TO
PEACEFUL PROTEST.
BUT WHEN THAT LINE IS CROSSED
AND ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND
VIOLENT DESTRUCTION, THOSE
ACTIONS ARE CRIMINAL AND MUST
BE STOPPED.
NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DESTROY
SOMEONE'S LIFE, BUSINESS, OR
NEIGHBORHOOD.
NO MATTER YOUR ZIP CODE.
VIOLENCE PROVOKES -- AND
DIMINISHES OUR HUMAN
CONNECTION.
OUR ABILITY TO EMPATHIZE AND
UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT EACH
OTHER.
AND ULTIMATELY OUR ABILITY TO
BUILD A STRONGER AND MORE JUST
SOCIETY.
AND SO, WHERE DO WE GO FROM
HERE?
TODAY I FEEL A PROFOUND SENSE
OF LOSS WONDERING IF THAT
SPIRIT THAT IGNITE THE US ALL
IS GONE.
THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO
RECAPTURE IT.
I SAW IT IN ACTION JUST THIS
MORNING ON THE EAST SIDE OF
BUFFALO.
WHEN I SHOWED UP WITH MAJORITY
LEADER CRYSTAL PEOPLE STOKES TO
HELP CLEAN UP BROKEN GLASS IN
THE STREET.
ONE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER
FOR A COMMON CAUSE.
THAT GAVE ME HOPE.
WESTERN NEW YORK HAS SEEN SO
MUCH TREMENDOUS PROGRESS.
WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER BUT ONLY
BY WORKING TOGETHER AND
ASSURING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR
ALL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I WILL
BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS,
PLEASE MESSAGE ME IN THE CHAT
BOX.
WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE ONE
QUESTION FROM CONNOR HOFFMAN
FROM THE ROCK PORT JOURNAL.
>>
>> LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL ADDRESSING A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THE UNREST HAPPENING IN OUR
COMMUNITY AND OTHER COMMUNITIES
ACROSS THE STATE AND COUNTRY
AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE
ENTERING PHASE TWO OF
REOPENING.
I WANT TO BRING IN BACK IN
REVEREND DARIUS PRIDGEN.
YOUR THOUGHTS TO WHAT THE
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SAID THERE
FIRST?
>> MY THOUGHTS?
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS
BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY HARD.
I KNOW THAT SHE IS IN CHARGE OF
THE RESPONSE TO COVID.
BUT SHE HAS BEEN WORKING HARD
TO PULL PEOPLE TOGETHER.
AND TO PUT A POSITIVE ON TWO
THINGS THAT ARE VERY NEGATIVE.
>> REVEREND PRIDGEN, I ASKED
MAYOR BYRON BROWN ABOUT THE
SPECIFIC CHANGES THAT ARE BEING
CALLED FOR BY SOME OF THE
PROTESTERS.
AMONG THOSE CHANGES IS A BAN ON
CHOKE HOLDS.
THERE ARE POLICE DEPARTMENTS
AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT SAY
THEIR OFFICERS CAN SIMPLY NOT
USE THEM.
THEY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF
SOME OF THESE DEADLY INCIDENTS.
TODAY, THE POLICE CHIEF FOR THE
SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS BANNING
CHOKE HOLDS TODAY.
LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING
AND SOMETHING IS GETTING PEOPLE
SO ANGRY THAT IT'S LEADING TO
CONFRONTATIONS, YOU HAVE TO
WEIGH IT.
IS IT WORTH HAVING POSSIBLE
FATAL ENCOUNTERS BECAUSE OF
THIS?
AND THE ANSWER IS NO.
>> SO HE SAYS ALLOWING CHOKE
HOLDS IS JUST NOT WORTH IT WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THE NEGATIVE
IMPACTS OF THAT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIVE THINGS
THAT THIS LOCAL GROUP HAS BEEN
CALLING FOR.
CHANGES.
SHOULD BUFFALO BAN CHOKE HOLDS?
>> NO, I HAVEN'T BEEN EDUCATED
YET ON IT.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, TO EVEN
HAVE THE CONVERSATION IS
IMPORTANT.
BUT THE CONVERSATION MUST LEAD
TO SOME TYPE OF -- I HAVE BEEN
VERY OPEN THROUGHOUT THIS
ENTIRE SITUATION SAYING BRING
IT TO ME.
BRING IT IN WRITING.
LET'S LOOK AT THE RESEARCH.
BUT ANYTHING THAT WILL KEEP
PEOPLE ALIVE I THINK IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL FOR THE
BODY CAMS.
USING SOMETHING OTHER THAN
LETHAL WEAPONS.
CHOKE HOLDS ARE A PROBLEM, WE
NEED TO EXAMINE IT AND
ELIMINATE IT.
>> AND REVEREND, QUICKLY IF I
CAN ASK YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN
INVOLVED IN CIVIL RIGHTS ACTION
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES IN
THE CITY FOR A LONG TIME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
HAVE BEEN HARKENING DR. KING
AND A LOT OF WHAT HE SAID ABOUT
THE RIOTS REALLY BEING THE
VOICE OF A GENERATION OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD.
DO YOU FEEL THAT THESE YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE REALLY JUST UNAWARE
OF HOW THEY NEED TO APPROACH
LEADERSHIP?
I MEAN, ONCE UPON A TIME IN DR.
KING'S DAY, THERE WAS AN
AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FOR
HIM TO GO TO HELP EFFECT
CHANGE.
BUT HERE IN 2020, WE HAVE A
DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
DO YOU FEEL THESE YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE NOT AWARE OF WHO TO ACCESS
OR HOW?
>> AGAIN, IT GOES BACK.
NOT AWARE IS MY FAULT.
MY GENERATION'S FAULT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT IS A
GREAT QUESTION.
BECAUSE NOW I'M TRYING TO
EDUCATE.
AND I THINK THAT IS SO
IMPORTANT.
AND I HEAR SOME FEEDBACK TO
MAKE SURE PEOPLE HEAR ME.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE.
AND NOT ONLY TO EDUCATE THEM
BUT TO INCLUDE SO THAT THEY
PREPARE TO TAKE OVER SO THAT
WHEN THIS GENERATION IS ON, MY
GENERATION THEY KNOW THEY NEED
TO BE INCLUDED RIGHT NOW.
THAT IS WHY I'M MEETING WITH
ORGANIZERS AND HAVE NO PROBLEM.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY
IT CAN'T JUST BE THEM AND US,
US AND THEM, IT HAS TO BE US
AND US AND GETTING TO A PLACE
THAT IS ABOUT EDUCATION.
>> WE'RE GOING TO STAY IN TOUCH
WITH YOU BECAUSE WE ARE ANXIOUS
TO SEE THOSE YOUNG LEADERS MOVE
FORWARD AND THE OUTCOME HERE IN
THE CITY OF BUFFALO THAT I
THINK WE ALL HOPE IS REALLY
POSITIVE.
BUFFALO COUNSEL PRESIDENT
DARIUS PRIDGEN.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING