Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged protesters to follow curfews in cities around the state as demonstrations against police brutality stemming from the killing of George Floyd continued on Tuesday evening. 

Multiple cities in New York remain under curfews in order to limit violent unrest that has marked some of the demonstrations over the last week.

What You Need To Know


  • Cuomo urged protests to heed curfews in New York cities

  • Cuomo applauded the work of police officers last night

  • He criticized President Trump's push to use active duty military

Following curfews would help police officers focus on looting and people who are commiting property damage, the governor said. 

Cuomo also dialed back his criticism of the New York City Police Department after riots and looting on Monday evening, applauding the work of both local police officers and the State Police. 

"We will not allow our cities in our state to be in chaos, period," Cuomo said on Wednesday during his daily briefing. 

Cuomo pointedly brought a Bible with him to the briefing to read several passages about violence and wisdom. It was a clear rebuke of President Donald Trump's use of the Bible when police cleared protesters in front of the White House to pose with a Bible in front of a church. 

Active duty military, Cuomo said, should not be deployed to quell domestic arrest. 

The governor had come under pressure to deploy National Guard units to help halt violence and criminality in New York City. Cuomo had sharply criticized the NYPD on Tuesday for failing to stop the looting seen in the city. That, in turn, led to criticism from the New York City PBA's outspoken president, Patrick Lynch.  

But on Wednesday, Cuomo said the following night went much better. 

"My issue was with the management and the deployment," Cuomo said, "not the police officers."