Chirlane McCray, the wife of radical New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, took to Twitter on Saturday to advise her followers on what to do if they witness a hate crime.

“As attacks on Asian American communities continue, we’re asking New Yorkers to show up for their neighbors and intervene when witnessing hateful violence or harassment,” McCray said to begin her Twitter thread.

She suggested to her followers to follow the so-called “5 D’s.” “D is for Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct,” she wrote.

The advice includes, among other strategies, to intervene in the situation first by attempting to distract the victim, arguing that it takes attention away from the perpetrator. It is unclear how distracting the victim would help in a hate crime.

McCray also suggested that a person witnessing the video could, with permission of the victim, record the incident to “document” it.

If all of her recommended strategies fail, McCray suggested that one should take “direct” action, including to “physically intervene,” but “only after assessing the situation.”

“This is risky, but sometimes all we can do is speak up,” she wrote. “If the harasser responds, try your best to focus on assisting the person targeted.”

While at one point, McCray suggested to “find someone in a position of authority, tell them about the situation and ask if they can help,” she did not suggest that her followers call the police in response to such an incident.

Twitter users reacted with shock and mockery to McCray’s advice, particularly in regard to her recommendation to “respond directly” and “physically intervene” in hate crimes.

Authorities strongly recommend against directly intervening in ongoing hate crimes.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City’s public transit system, tells their users to not “try to handle it on your own” if a hate crime is witnessed. “The situation could escalate.”

The NYPD agrees with the assessment. “A person reports a hate crime in the same manner as they would report any other crime. If it is a serious crime in progress, call 911,” the department says on their website.

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.