De Blasio Shrugs Off Neighbors' Complaints Over Gracie Barricades

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared unmoved Wednesday by complaints from his neighbors about the barricades surrounding Gracie Mansion that have blocked off parts of Carl Schurz Park for most of a year.

Responding to a Patch reporter's question about the ongoing obstructions, de Blasio said the barricades were justified by protests that are frequently held outside his residence.

"I’m certainly aware that for my neighbors up by Gracie Mansion and any place where there’s protests, there’s always going to be complaints," he said during a Wednesday morning news conference.

Last week, Patch reported on the continued presence of the barricades, which were first erected in Carl Schurz Park last summer amid large protests following the killing of George Floyd.

As those protests have subsided, most barricades have been taken down, but others continue to cordon off two entrances to the beloved park and a pathway near Gracie Mansion — posing a hindrance to some neighbors, especially those who are elderly or disabled.

De Blasio, though, insisted Wednesday that "there have been regular, constant protests" in the park nearly every week since last summer, on a host of different issues.

"The notion that protests are over is just not accurate," he said.

Indeed, Gracie Mansion has long been a popular gathering spot for protesters looking to catch the mayor's ear. As recently as last week, taxi drivers rallied there to call for debt relief, and a small Black Lives Matter vigil is still held nightly in Carl Schurz Park.

But some neighbors remain unconvinced, pointing out that protests outside Gracie were common long before the barricades went up.

"He’s the mayor and that comes with some heat," said Tosia McCormick, who lives nearby and said she did not buy de Blasio's defense, since major gatherings have dwindled in the dead of winter.

"There hasn’t been any justification for months now," she said.

De Blasio did not say Wednesday whether the barricades were in place at his direction or the NYPD's. He said police were "doing their best" to keep the area safe.

"We’ll constantly watch if things evolve differently," he said.

Previous coverage: Gracie Mansion Barricades Block UES Park, 9 Months After Protests