New York City mayor’s daughter arrested alongside protesters for ‘unlawful assembly’

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daughter was arrested during protests Saturday night, according to police sources.

Chiara de Blasio was arrested for unlawful assembly and was later released, police sources said.

The mayor said during a Monday news conference that he became aware of her arrest through a media inquiry.

“She was abundantly clear she was peacefully protesting, not doing anything that would provoke a negative response,” he said.

Earlier, he said, “I knew of some of her views. I knew she believed in peaceful protest, I knew she had participated a few nights ago, but in a peaceful manner.”

He also said he would let her speak for herself on the details.

Her arrest comes as thousands of people are taking to the streets across the country in both peaceful protests and violent demonstrations against law enforcement over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Protesters have been clashing with police in major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.

In New York, peaceful demonstrations were seen during the day, with protesters filming officers kneeling with them on Sunday. But when the sun went down, that’s when burning cars and throwing objects at police took over.

Mayor de Blasio has been very vocal this weekend about the protests, saying Saturday on Twitter that “structural racism haunts the lives of people of color.”

“What we’re seeing is an overflow due to decades of injustices,” de Blasio tweeted. “I see my own privilege and can only understand so much. I know enough to say that for the Black community every day is pervaded by racism. We will do better.”

The mayor on Sunday walked around different parts of the city with city council members talking to citizens about the protests and how to address them.