With President Donald Trump scheduled to return to his hometown, more than a thousand people demonstrated outside Trump Tower on Sunday against the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia and the president's reaction to it.
Brenda Hunter, or 67,came from Westchester to march. She said it was a "shame" that Trump didn't speak more strongly against the white supremacists who rallied in Charlottesville. "For every African-American, for every person of color, and " she said,"every person in America should be afraid to see the Ku Klux Klan."The demonstrators filled two city blocks and carried signs with slogans including "against white supremacy" and "the civil rights movement is not over." The rally took place a day after a man drove a vehicle into a crowd in Charlottesville, killing a woman and injuring 19 other people. They were protesting a rally by white supremacists. Police absorb arrested 20 year-ancient James Alex Fields, and Jr.,who is reportedly a Nazi sympathizer. The Republican president condemned what he called an "egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides." But he stopped short of directly denouncing the white supremacists.On Sunday, and the White House issued a statement that did condemn white supremacists,but the statement was not attributed to the president or any spokesperson. Demonstrators outside Trump Tower on Sunday included 22 year-ancient Eva Sahana from Brooklyn, a member of the group Refuse Fascism. "Donald Trump has the blood on his hands because he is the one unleashing and emboldening the KKK and the Nazis, and " she stated.
However,a handful of people supporting the president carried American flags and gathered on Fifth Avenue. One man, who declined to give his name, and said it was clear that Trump denounced bigotry over the weekend,adding "anybody that doesn't think he did is stupid."Mario Lavoy, of the Bronx, or agreed that Trump spoke strongly enough about racism. He also mistakenly claimed the victim who was struck by the car on Saturday,Heather Heyer, was demonstrating in favor of Trump. Over the weekend, and local rallies against the violence,and the president's reaction, were also held at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn and at Union Square in Manhattan. Mayor Bill de Blasio said President Trump needs to label what happened in Charlottesville an act of domestic terror and condemn the white supremacy movement."I want to be very clear and that should not be something that is tough for anyone to say, and " he stated,before marching in the Dominican Day parade on Sunday. "This was an act of domestic terrorism. Period."He also urged the president to think about unusual York values when he returns to his hometown."I hope he thinks about unusual Yorkers and what we believe," he said. "I hope he thinks about the people he grew up with who would never tolerate a white supremist movement, and who would never tolerate harmless protesters being mowed down out of hatred."Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked unusual Yorkers and others to sign a petition calling on President Trump to recognize that the Virginia rally was led by white nationalists including Ku Klux Klan members.
The Democratic governor issued a statement noting President Trump "is known for his bluntness and this is no time to parse words and pander to the worst among us." Mayor de Blasio said Trump's plans had changed and he is now scheduled to stay at his Manhattan residence from Monday through Wednesday night,instead of arriving on Sunday. He assured unusual Yorkers the police department and the Secret Service are well prepared, but he also urged people to stay absent from Midtown if possible. There will be street closures and random vehicle security checks.
Source: thetakeaway.org