MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The mayor of Madison has apologized for a private message to the city’s police force in which she sympathized with officers dealing with civil unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The private video was made public Tuesday when it was posted on Facebook and drew criticism from social justice advocates.
On Wednesday, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway apologized publicly saying she failed to make it clear in her message to police that black lives matter, the State Journal reported.
“I realize that this action has done deep harm to the black community and for this, I apologize,” Rhodes-Conway said.
Peaceful protests in Madison following Floyd’s death May 25 were marred by several nights of looting and break-ins near the Capitol. Some demonstrators threw rocks and bottles at police, who responded with tear gas and pepper spray.
The death of Floyd, a black man who struggled to breath as a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against his neck as he was handcuffed on the ground, sparked massive demonstrations around the globe.
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