Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the violent unrest in Baltimore as part of an exclusive interview with NY1.
Sitting down with NY1 political anchor Errol Louis in City Hall's Blue Room, the mayor said he thought Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is handling the situation effectively, but he denounced violence against police and said the public, in all cities, has a responsibility to act peacefully.
"If folks want to protest and ask for changes in our society, there's a way to do that peacefully that I think is effective. We saw that here on the stop-and-frisk issue," de Blasio said. "But any violence, particularly violence against police, is not only morally unacceptable and illegal, it also denigrates the entire idea of the cause that it purports to be supporting."
The mayor also spoke extensively about his much-publicized efforts to make his progressive agenda part of the national debate, and he responded to criticism of his multiple trips out of town, saying he has no problem speaking on the national stage while still handling his day job of running the city.
"You have to walk and chew gum at the same time," de Blasio said. "The mayor of New York City historically has been a leader of urban America. It goes without saying, the largest city in the country by far. We all know so many of the problems that have to be addressed are in Washington. So you're not going to change Washington with status quo politics."
The mayor also discussed his decision not to endorse Hillary Clinton just yet, and he weighed in on the continued debate over the policing and enforcement of small, low-level crimes.