Mayor Unveils Final Gun Control Report at Briefing

By Thalif Deen Reprint | | Print |

NEW YORK, Dec 12 2013 (IPS) - In what was described as his last anti-gun press conference, outgoing New York city Mayor Mike Bloomberg criticized the sale of guns without background checks.

Bloomberg, who leaves office December 31, has been one of the strongest advocates of gun control in the United States.

At a press conference Thursday, he unveiled his final report as co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) and expressed hopes that incoming Mayor Bill de Blasio will continue the nation-wide campaign against illegal guns.

Bloomberg told reporters. “I would hope that he would join the mayors’ coalition, but he’s got other things on his mind at the moment. But we would certainly talk to him and I would expect him to be there. He–if you go back and look at his record–is totally in sync.”

The Mayor’s new report comes at a time when the United Nations is campaigning for 50 ratifications needed to bring the international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) into force.

The billionaire Mayor, who has used his personal fortune fighting for gun control, said he will continue his campaign even after leaving office.

“This is the last report that Mayors Against Illegal Guns is issuing during our tenure as mayor. Rest assured that our work to pass sensible gun laws that keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, and end the epidemic of gun violence in our nation, will go on. We will keep fighting. Maybe we’ll keep fighting even harder,” he said.

But he admitted – much to his disappointment – that gun control has not made much progress among lawmakers in Washington.