Mayor Edwin M. Lee issued the following statement regarding the recent violence across the country:

“This morning our hearts are heavy following the recent violence that has impacted communities across the country.

We can and must stand against violence — violence against young men of color, violence against law enforcement officers and violence against our communities as a whole. We need to come together, have meaningful conversations about change and work together towards peace.

In these sad times, when it seems nearly everyday we are greeted by more killing and more reason to grieve, we must remember what is right and what gives us hope. It is the bold, but peaceful protestors in the Black Lives Matter movement across the country who seek a safer, more perfect union through speech, the many brave police officers — such as those in Orlando — who unselfishly rush to save lives, and our San Francisco police officers who showed this week that reforms can take hold and the sanctity of life can be upheld. ”