By Gretchen Berger
Manhattan Democrats held a “Rally to Wake Up the Dems!” in Verdi Square (72 & Broadway) on Sunday afternoon, targeting key races in the November midterm elections for city, state, and national offices.
Organized by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, the rally started with the Harlem Samba Percussion Ensemble, warming up the crowd with some spicy samba rhythms. People filled most of the square, with many carrying signs supporting Kathy Hochul for Governor and Antonio Delgado for Lieutenant Governor.
Although Gov. Hochul was supposed to be the featured speaker, she did not attend, canceling at the last minute due to “scheduling problems,” according to one of Levine’s staffers.
But there were others there running in key races, including Jerrold Nadler for United States Congress, Letitia James for New York State Attorney General, and several New York State assembly members and senators.
On the sidelines, also making their presence known — loudly and sometimes aggressively — was a group of Republicans, primarily, Lee Zeldin supporters. Some repeatedly interrupted and tried to shout down speakers, using obscenities. A few got physical with attendees around them, and one man jumped on the stage but was immediately removed by the police, who were there in force.
Speakers included BP Mark Levine, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, NYS Attorney General Letitia James, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senators Brad Hoylman, Dick Gottfried, and Jose Serrano, and City Councilmembers Sean Abreu and Gale Brewer. Numerous Democratic clubs were represented, such as the West Side Democrats, the Columbia University Democrats, the Manhattan Democrats, the Eleanor Roosevelt Democrats, Three Parks Democrats, and others.
Topics covered included: protecting democracy; voting rights and suppression; reproductive and abortion rights; gun safely; education funding; LGBTQ+ rights; fair and affordable housing; clean air and climate change; labor unions and workers’ rights.
Come on Letitia, throw trump in jail.
Why would it matter. He’d be released back onto the streets like all of NYC’s other criminals in a matter of hours.
Does anyone else find it provocative that the Trumpists always act against law and order?
Yup. They claim to be “Patriots” who are so passionate about law and order yet they constantly behave in an aggressive, disorderly way and they worship at the alter of the biggest crook on earth. Their hypocrisy is truly unbelievable.
To that point, though, I know the list of topics might not be 100% complete but I find it hard to believe that they had a rally at that location and did not discuss crime and public safety. I am a lifelong Democrat and find it sad and embarrassing how tone deaf so many elected officials are. This is a major issue. Republicans are attacking hard on it and being successful with these attacks. Stop ignoring and/or denying it. Something has to be done.
Sorry I missed it. Would have been there to support if I had known.
Some of the Zeldin fans, in this case, represented the growing ugly side of blind partisanship. As New Yorkers and especially Upper West Siders we can take solace in our vast Democrat majority. Zeldin and his policies will never win.
Dear Jack. Please see the polls. Zeldin is not out of reach of the governorship.
Everyone, please VOTE!!!!!!!
“Wake up the Dems?”
Yeah, we noticed they’re asleep at the wheel.
Gosh, I thought it was Zeldin who is walking through a daily war-zone of violence. Here I find out it is actually HIS supporters who are getting violent. Will this receive as much coverage as the guy who brandished a plastic key chain at Zeldin during one of his rallies that got branded as a “weapon” by the media? I seriously doubt it.
Not too surprising. The further Zeldin moves to the Trumpist Right, the more verbally- & physically-violent supporters he will win to his side.
“Topics covered included: protecting democracy; voting rights and suppression; reproductive and abortion rights; gun safely; education funding; LGBTQ+ rights; fair and affordable housing; clean air and climate change; labor unions and workers’ rights.”
It would be nice if the Democrats also addressed the increase in crime, especially in the subways.
All these liberal bullet points might go over well on the UWS but not in Middle America. This is why the Dems will get crushed nationwide in November.
Don’t under estimate the power of women. I don’t expect any crush in November. Much of the nationwide violence is due to the proliferation of firearms, and especially high powered AR-15s and mass killings.
I’m a woman, a local parent. I have always been anti-gun, even before children.
However right now CRIMINALS with guns or no guns pose the greatest risk to my children.
Lots of local mothers feel exactly the same. It has nothing to do with Republican platform.
It’s scary to think there are Zeldin supporters out there.
The reality is that there are people fed up with NY government that they’d vote ANYONE other than the permanent government of NYS and want NY elected leaders to know not to take their victory for granted.
These comments are pathetic. Does anyone in this neighborhood see clearly that CRIME was not even mentioned in the topics? What is wrong with you people!??
You complain about feeling unsafe, you complain that the subway is not safe and THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CAUSED THIS!!! It is THEIR CURRENT POLICIES!!!
Forget TRUMP – he is GONE. Let it go. Look at your local candidates.
Maria Danzillo is a Democrat running under the Parent Party because parents are terrified for their children. She is a Democrat for God’s sakes – pay attention to who you are voting for. Brad Hoylman running against her is responsible for today’s policies where we are all walking in fear. If you all vote for these people you better all be quiet when you are afraid to go out after dark and don’t complain a bit – to anyone.
It’s NOW OR NEVER, wake up! Once again, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CAUSED OUR UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOODS. It is THEIR CURRENT POLICIES, no one else’s!!!
Good try. I see why you are such a Frustrated UWS-er. Donald Trump is gone?? What planet are you living on cause if Trump is actually gone I’d like to live on that planet!!! Trump is controlling the entire Republican Party and threatening to run for President in 2024 even if from a prison cell. I’m sorry. But the rise in crime that has come after a cataclysmic period of a pandemic in this city is something not related to the Governor. It was a very safe city before the pandemic. People up here who want to blame someone for this recent rise in crime might be better off understanding that voting for an extremist Republican who has denied that Trump lost the 2022 election , and incited an insurrection against this country as well as bilked the government out of millions of tax dollars might be better off showing up on the steps of City Hall where the power in this city really lies. Instead you’d sooner vote for a candidate who is anti-choice, who is pro-gun lobby, who would privatize Social Security and Medicare in a heartbeat and who would support a Federal “Don’t Say Gay” law! Seriously???
Trump is NOT gone. You see him in the news daily riling up his supporters with hate-filled rhetoric.
I’m surprised they allowed that
You mean her comment?
We’re (still) a society that thinks free speech is allowed.
No?
Trumpublicans always whine about how the Dems are responsible for “cancel culture”. Yet here we have an example of them trying to prevent opposing voices from speaking.
Did any of them make mention of the rising crime and vagrants in the area?
And how about random and increasing attacks on people in the streets and especially in the subways?
Democrats are running on the wrong message. People are being raped, slashed, mugged, caught in crossfires, pushed onto subway tracks. These things affect ALL New Yorkers.
We’re walking over homeless, seeing encampments where there never were before, scraping human feces off our shoes. Our children can’t be left alone to walk home from school or even play in their own yards in the outer boroughs without taking a chance of being caught between gang member violence..
Hochul and Adams tell us more police will be in our subways and on our corners, but the the police are leaving the force in droves. And new recruits are at the slowest rate in the history of the city. Retirements are UP 45%, Resignations are UP 18% and Hirings are DOWN 5%.
Frankly putting Trump in prison isn’t going to lower the cost of gasoline, food or increasing our 401Ks and stocks. And it certainly won’t protect our lives and those of our children. He continues to live rent free in your brain.
It’s not going to fix what’s wrong with this state and city. So although it may make you happy to see that, it won’t affect our day to day lives.
Maybe we have to ask ourselves that old question. “Are you better off now than you were two years ago?”
How about 5 years ago, when Trump declared carnage in the streets in his Inaugural address? Isn’t what you’re describing now exactly what he pontificated about at that time? And it’s still w/ us? I guess I’m just lucky b/c I don’t seem to have any trouble avoiding “human feces” on the streets.
Vote the same way, get the same results.
Cannot get any simpler.