Media

Protester Appears To Threaten To Burn Down NYC’s Diamond District On Live TV: ‘Gasoline, Thanks To Trump, Is Awfully Cheap’

Font Size:

A protester at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in New York appeared to threaten to burn down the city’s Diamond District live on Fox News Saturday. 

“I’m a leader of this ‘FTP’ movement,” he said. “It means a lot of things. It can mean free the people, it can mean for the people, it can also mean fire to property.” 

“And that’s very possible… we hope that de Blasio and Cuomo come out and talk to us and give the youth some direction. But if they don’t, the next stop is the Diamond District. And gasoline, thanks to Trump, is awfully cheap,” he said. 

Fox News anchor Eric Shawn immediately condemned the remarks, calling them “outrageous words” and that the man “was basically suggesting that they plan to go to the Diamond District, which is run basically by Orthodox Jews here in New York City.”

“Certainly hope that is not the case,” he said, before making clear that the Fox News Channel condemns “that type of language.”

“Someone saying that certainly should be called out in terms of any type of potential threat,” Shawn added.

The man is attending a protest in New York City over the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes. The nationwide protests erupted into violent riots in many states, including New York, where rioters were seen burning cars and looting businesses.  

Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio’s response to the riots, saying that “the NYPD and the mayor did not do their job.” (RELATED: Trump Slams Cuomo For Losing New York To Looters, Says ‘NYC Was Ripped To Pieces’)

“What happened in New York City was inexcusable,” the governor said at a press conference.

When speaking about rioters and looters, de Blasio said “to hell with all of them,” and that they did not represent the majority of the “‘hardworking, decent people’ of New York.”