A gaggle of Massive Apple enterprise neighborhood members and public security advocates rallied Wednesday in help of Mayor Eric Adams — saying he deserves his day in courtroom as he faces historic federal corruption prices.
The about two dozen supporters gathered on the Plaza De Las Americas market in Washington Heights included Jose Alba, the previous bodega clerk who infamously fatally stabbed a violent ex-con in self-defense two years in the past.
“I got here to help Adams as a result of once I had my drawback Adams was there to help,” mentioned Alba, who narrowly dodged homicide prices within the 2022 stabbing at a Hamilton Heights grocery retailer.
“I don’t consider he’s responsible,” Alba advised reporters. “I need him discovered harmless.”
The rally-goers held indicators that learn “Eric Adams, the enterprise neighborhood help you!!” and broke out into chants of “4 extra years.”
“We’ve got religion mayor Adam goes to return out clear of the fees he’s going through,” mentioned Francisco Marte, founding father of the Bodega and Small Enterprise Affiliation of New York.
“We’ve got gained numerous safety with Eric Adams,” Marte mentioned. “Any progress that we’ve got gained we don’t need to lose that. We don’t need to return. We don’t need to go to extremist left leaders who’re towards the police and regulation and order.”
Jackie Rowe-Adams, president and co-founder of the group Harlem Moms Cease One other Violent Finish, additionally referred to as for different elected officers to face by the first-term mayor.
“You already know what he’s responsible of? caring an excessive amount of concerning the metropolis,” Rowe-Adams mentioned.
The embattled Adams was hit with a federal indictment final week charging him with defrauding taxpayers out of $10 million to curry favor with Turkish officers.
He has pleaded not responsible and vowed to proceed in his put up, insisting that “my day-to-day is not going to change.”
Alba made headlines when he was initially arrested after fatally stabbing 35-year-old Austin Simon when the brute got here behind the bodega counter and began to pummel him.
The previous clerk mentioned he hasn’t forgotten how Adams had his again on the time.
“Eric Adams noticed the video and went to the media and advised the reality about what he noticed, and thank goodness the homicide cost, which was fully false, was dropped and he was capable of get on along with his life,” Richard Cardinale, a lawyer representing Alba, mentioned on the rally.
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