New York City veterans are ‘furious’ at Mayor Bill de Blasio after blocking a permit for Staten Island’s 102nd annual Memorial Day parade despite recently allowing a cannabis parade.
Jamie Gonzales, 57, a Marine infantryman who saw combat during Operation Desert Storm, called the decision a “slap in the face.” In an interview with the New York Post he added “For many of us it’s a form of closure,” he continued, “We gather and support each other.” Gulf war veterans such as Gonzales were set to receive special recognition during this year’s parade to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the conflict.
The New York Police Department informed the organizers of the parade that the march had to be restricted under de Blasio’s emergency executive order on public events. The United Staten Island Veterans Organization, a group that consists of 16 local veterans’ groups, has sponsored the march for decades.
While the cannabis March was held on May 1st, it’s not the first march to be allowed by the city. The St. Patrick’s Day parade and Black Lives Matter protests have also been allowed to happen. According to the Daily Wire, Bill de Blasio participated in both events. The Mayor participated in the “East Harlem Pray and Protest” last Summer and even felt sick afterwards yet refused to get tested for COVID.
During the cannabis parade many prominent Democrats participated including Senator Chuck Schumer. “Look, have any parade you want, I have no problem with that,” said Volker Heyde, 78, who is the commandant of Staten Island’s Marine Corps League. “But for the city to put dopeheads over vets is just dishonoring us.”