Liam Neeson joins controversial NYC horse carriage debate

NEW YORK, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Actor Liam Neeson is not happy with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The 61-year-old actor appeared on Wednesday night's Daily Show to promote his new film Non-Stop, but things really heated up after the topic turned to NYC's horse-drawn carriages.

Neeson got into an animated debate with host Jon Stewart about the carriages, and was peculiarly adamant that the horses should stay. Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to replace the city's iconic horse-drawn carriages with vintage tourist-friendly vehicles, on claims that the animals are inhumanely treated. According to his website, de Blasio supports an immediate ban on the carriages, and intends to retire all of the horses to animal sanctuaries.

Neeson could not disagree more, and expressed that he is "pissed" with de Blasio on last night's show. During the segment, the actor quoted a poll that "over sixty percent of New Yorkers want to keep the horse carriage[s]," and made a strange assertion that the industry "made the roads of New York." He claimed that while "these guys treat their horses like their children," de Blasio "won't even take a meeting with the horse carriage industry," even though the mayor is "supposed to be representing the New York people."

Neeson jokingly stood up at the end of the interview, prepared to settle the debate with a fist-fight. Stewart, who had good-naturedly disagreed with the actor on the subject, quickly cut to commercial.

Non-Stop debuts in theaters tomorrow on Friday, February 28th.

[Entertainment Weekly]