New Yorkers are weighing in on what they think it means to live in an “anarchist jurisdiction” after the Department of Justice labeled Manhattan, Portland and Seattle as such in a new declaration.
The Justice Department labeled the three cities as “anarchy” jurisdictions on Monday on orders from President Trump to block federal funding into “lawless zones.”
It took no time at all before some people in New York were mocking the assertion on social media. Anarchist jurisdiction started trending on Twitter and users began to tell the world how they felt about the label.
Many posted about how much they love their “anarchist jurisdiction” and their favorite things about it. Others simply posted what was outside their windows to show just how unruly their neighborhoods can be.
Some took a cleverer approach and changed the lyrics to one of Taylor Swift’s songs “Welcome to New York” and replaced the city’s name in first line of the chorus with anarchist jurisdiction.
Gov. Cuomo responds
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the DOJ labeling an attempt to distort government agencies to play politics during a news conference. He compared the move to similar action taken a few years ago when the federal government threatened to remove funding for sanctuary cities.
The governor said if the federal government once again threatens to block funding, the state will challenge it legally and Cuomo predicts the President will lose.
The anarchy labels come after Trump released a memorandum earlier this month that highlighted New York City, Portland and Seattle, as cities where their “local and state governments have contributed to the violence and destruction” following the death of George Floyd on May 25 at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers and have refused to “accept offers of Federal law enforcement assistance.”
The list of jurisdictions will be updated periodically in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
