Bill de Blasio lifts NYC curfew, vows to cut funding for NYPD

Following days of violence by NYPD against unarmed, peaceful protesters, and Mayor Bill de Blasio continuing to defend the police, he has finally lifted the city's 8 PM curfew, one day earlier than planned.

"New York City: We are lifting the curfew, effective immediately. Yesterday and last night we saw the very best of our city," de Blasio tweeted Sunday morning. "Tomorrow we take the first big step to restart. Keep staying safe. Keep looking out for each other."

This follows hundreds being arrested for violating curfew, including a food delivery worker, who was also harassed by police, despite food delivery being considered essential work and exempt from the curfew.

UPDATE: The New York Times also reports that de Blasio has vowed for the first time to cut funding for the NYPD -- despite expressing skepticism just two days ago -- and shifting funding to youth services and social services:

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday pledged for the first time to cut the city’s police funding, following 10 nights of mass protests against police violence and mounting demands that he overhaul a department whose tactics have caused widespread consternation.

The mayor on Sunday declined to say precisely how much funding he planned to divert to social services from the New York Police Department, which has an annual budget of $6 billion, representing more than 6 percent of Mr. de Blasio’s proposed $90 billion budget.

Mr. de Blasio said the details would be worked out with the City Council in advance of the July 1 budget deadline.

“We’re committed to seeing a shift of funding to youth services, to social services, that will happen literally in the course of the next three weeks, but I’m not going to go into detail because it is subject to negotiation and we want to figure out what makes sense,” Mr. de Blasio said.

CBS New York also reports that de Blasio says he wants to make 50-a "as we knew it a thing of the past." (To quote the NAACP, "50-a is a NYS statute that carves out unnecessary & harmful secrecy for police, fire and corrections. 50-a is routinely used to shield police misconduct and failed police disciplinary processes from public view.")