Results tagged “rally”

As you probably already know from the ranting of Lou Reed and Mad Men's John Slattery, the Sanitation Department is planning a big 'ol garbage facility on West Street between Canal and Spring Streets. The A-list locals are not happy, and have proposed an alternate plan, all whilst insisting this has nothing to do with them being rich and/or famous. Curbed reports that the bold-faced names will be gathering tomorrow night at a fancy rally; "Their aim is to gain support for Hudson Rise, an alternative proposal with a smaller and cheaper garage topped by a cute little patch of green." Stay tuned to find out if the garbage tower will be moving to your neighborhood...

Tomorrow afternoon (at 2 p.m.) Times Square will serve as the stage for a Health Care rally, the NY Times reports. Over 75 "Democratic and health-related groups that support President Obama’s goals for overhauling the health care system" will converge on the Crossroads of the World to get their voices heard. The paper points out that amongst those groups will be the Upper West Side Baby Boomers and "Raising Women’s Voices, a group that mobilizes women as advocates for better health care. They and others want to ensure that any final legislation guarantees that pregnant women will have health insurance." Currently 13% of pregnant women are uninsured, with some insurers classifying pregnancy as a pre-existing condition and declining coverage. CityRoom reports that "midmorning, groups of demonstrators will congregate at sites across the city, including Mary Immaculate Hospital in Queens, which has closed. They will then walk to West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, where the demonstration will begin." President Obama's website notes that the rally is in tribute of the late Ted Kennedy.

This morning there was a rally to save the historic Underground Railroad site in Chelsea, which like everything else in this city is being threatened by a building owner's "remodeling" project. Students, activists, local officials and preservationists held the rally and teach-in at the building's site, the Hopper-Gibbons House at 339 West 29th Street, which was a hiding place for runaway slaves. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is actively considering designating it a protected landmark, but meanwhile the current owner continues to receive building permits. One local told the NY Times last year, “Being one of the few African-Americans on the block, I have an emotional connection to this history. You have a lot of cultural history in New York that money seems to want to push out of the way.”

U.S. stock indices jumped today, upon news of loosened accounting rules, the G20 agreement for IMF lending, and a rise in factory orders. The Dow, which broke 8,000 points for the first time in two months, ended 216 points up at 7,978 points (+2.79%), while the Nasdaq was up 3.29% and S&P 500 gained 2.87% (and had it's best day since mid-February).

Wall Street was much happier with the Obama administration's plans for dealing with toxic assets and sent the markets soaring: The Dow closed up 497 points (6.84%) to end at 7775 points; the S&P 500 rose 7.08%; and the Nasdaq climbed 6.76%. One "market pro" told CNBC, "You cannot fight this intervention. When you start to see the market just climb after weeks and months of being sold out, you have to participate," while Fusion IQ's Barry Ritholtz told the NY Times, "This is a free money rally. Traders like the fact that there’s a boatload of cash headed their way.”

Are investors getting their groove back? The Dow was up 3.46% (+239 points to end at 7170 points), the Nasdaq increased by 3.97%, and the S&P 500 rose 4.07%. According to CNBC, "The surge marked the third straight gain for the Dow, after a tiny gain on Wednesday and a nearly 6-percent burst on [Tuesday], the best rally in more than three months." One portfolio management firm chief investment officer told the Wall Street Journal, "We're getting back to a more normal world in which companies that do well in terms of their profits are getting rewarded," which one investment management firm's managing director told CNBC, "A lot of the trap doors are being opened and you're not getting these major surprises anymore. That's why you're getting some investor confidence." So, basically, it's anybody's guess and we're just hoping it lasts.

The stock indices all rose significantly today: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 5.8%, gaining 379 points to close at 6,926. The S&P 500 also rose 6.4% (ending above 719) and the Nasdaq jumped 7.1%. Bloomberg News reported, "Stocks around the world staged the biggest rally of the year after Citigroup Inc. said it was having its best quarter since 2007, spurring speculation the worst of the banking crisis is over." The NY Times adds the enthusiasm was also spurred by "calls for regulatory reforms from the Federal Reserve chairman, and the possibility that the government would reinstate rules governing short sales of stocks."

Just before noon, a rally is being held outside the Manhattan DA's office, demanding for an investigation into the deaths of four-year-old Hayley Ng and three-year-old Diego Martinez. The two pre-schoolers were killed when an unoccupied van, left idling on East Broadway in Chinatown, jumped a curb and crash into them as their class was coming back from a field trip. The incident was deemed an accident, but the children's families are upset that the driver wasn't even issued a ticket and still has his license. Hayley's aunt told Streetsblog "We're hoping for the DA to set a precedent and prosecute this person or convene a grand jury." (WCBS 2 interviewed Hayley's mother who said, "No, I'm not all right! I'll never be all right! She's gone!") The rally is at One Hogan Place.

Thousands of teachers, health care workers, labor unions, and community groups held rallies across New York State yesterday to protest Governor Paterson's budget proposal, which would slash approximately $2.5 billion in education funding, $3.2 billion in health care, and cut billions from programs for senior services, disability services, housing assistance and crisis intervention programs. In downtown Manhattan, rally organizers say some 50,000 people assembled around City Hall, and the crowds forced the NYPD to reduce Broadway to one lane and close side streets.

    

Earlier this morning the NYCLU shouted "I Do!" to marriage for all New Yorkers at their National Freedom to Marry Day. Reps from the organization joined forces with Marriage Equality New York and the Empire State Pride Agenda for a call to action and rally in front of the Manhattan Marriage Bureau on Worth Street. This marks the 12th annual Freedom to Marry week, and before attempting to apply for their marriage licenses, over 100 activists rallied outside in support of lesbian and gay couples seeking marriage equality. At present, only Massachusetts and Connecticut permits same-sex marriages.

    

Last night, a Mets fans descended on the SNY studios to voice their desire for the Mets to sign Manny Ramirez. priced out of the citi reports on the "Sign Manny" rally, which was publicized on Mets message boards:

The crowd was a bit smaller than expected (approximately 30 people), but boisterous nevertheless. Chants of "We want Manny!" were screamed throughout the show - with one fan even doing so through a megaphone. Signs plastered the glass of the studio with images of the 36 year old right-hander.

Continue reading "Mets Fans Who Want Man Ram"

NY1 reports that a group supporting Palestinians protested in Union Square yesterday. NYC Labor Against War's Michael Letwin said, "We know the Jews have experienced oppression throughout the centuries and we can recognize oppression when we see it. And we know that the Palestinians here are the victims not the perpetrators." However, over at the United Nations, a rally with local politicians was held in support of Israel. City Councilman David Weprin said, "Israel should not cease fire now, until either Hamas is defeated or Hamas relinquishes its power. Until that time comes, Israel must continue its current course of action. Israel must finish the job," and Rep. Anthony Weiner said, "Hamas began a campaign of terror that's gone on for years. And I think Israel is doing all it can to end it in the only way they have left." Today, it's reported that Israel is moving its offensive to the southern part of Gaza.

A compromise may be in sight between those who would rid Prospect Park of cars and community groups who say such a change would clog their streets. The Brooklyn Paper reports that at a Community Board 7 meeting in Brooklyn last night, Transportation Alternatives revised its call for an immediate ban, instead proposing narrowing the park to one car lane. About 600 motorists pass through every hour, and the thought of a full ban had board member Cynthia Gonzalez asking, "They want us to redirect 1,200 cars [each morning and evening] onto our streets, for how many bike riders?" Wiley Norvell at Transportation Alternatives tells us, "Our single-biggest issue with cars in Prospect Park is the danger they pose to park users. Speeding and reckless driving are rampant, and a 'road diet' would go a long way to improving the situation, without bumping up against the traffic concerns that have been raised south of the park."

After yesterday's 5+% loss on Wall Street, Dow futures gained about 200 points, according to CNBC, but one trader said, "At best we might see a day or two of further rebounds, but as we've seen in the past after a big rally it always comes off, it's always met with skepticism... People are being spooked out of positions instead of thinking rationally."

              

Yesterday afternoon, thousands of people gathered at City Hall to protest Proposition 8, California's ban on gay marriage. While there was a Prop 8 protest earlier this week outside the Manhattan Mormon Temple, yesterday's event was coordinated with many others across the nation and organized by Join the Impact.

                   

Last night, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people gathered for a protest outside the Church of Latter Day Saints' Manhattan Mormon Temple and march down Broadway to Columbus Circle. They were protesting California's passage of Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage; the Mormon Church is targeted because alot of support and funding for advertising to support Proposition 8 came from Mormons.

The McCain/Palin campaign is having zero luck with their song choices. Following Heart, Survivor, the Foo Fighters, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne speaking out against the two-some using their songs, Bon Jovi has now spoken up after their tune "Home" was used at a rally or two. They released the following statement today: "We wrote this song as a thank you to those who have supported us over the past twenty-five years. The song has since become a banner for our home state of New Jersey and the defacto theme song for our partnerships around the country to build homes and rebuild communities. Although we were not asked, we do not approve of their use of 'Home.'" Still, probably didn't sting as badly as when Van Halen protested the use of one of their songs being used by the campaign (Palin's son's middle name is Van, as an homage to the band).

Stock futures are up 4% after as continued assurances and actions from world governments and central banks. Reuters proclaimed "Money Markets Ease on Unlimited Dollars Pledge," as Britain and Germany are committing "billions in taxpayers funds ...to prop up banks."

Windsor Terrace residents were joined by Park Slope Assemblyman Jim Brennan and local community board members at a rally to decry a proposal that would completely bar cars from Prospect Park for three months next summer to study the traffic impact. Last month Transportation Alternatives delivered a petition to Mayor Bloomberg signed by 10,000 people who want the park to be totally car-free.

Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been disinvited from a rally planned for Monday to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's U.N. visit. Earlier in the week, Hillary Clinton dropped out of the event when Palin was added to the list of speakers. Now rally organizers have asked Palin to stay away, bowing to pressure from Jewish Democrats who argued that her presence would turn the event into a Republican political rally. (The McCain campaign had called for Senator Barack Obama to join Palin at the event in a show of unity against Iran.) In fact, all American political figures have been asked not to come, though Politico says the decision was all about Palin. The group, Stop Iran Now, said in a statement that "in order to keep the focus on Iranian threats and to ensure that this critical message not be obscured, the organizers of the rally have decided not to have any American political personalities appear."

This year Williamsburg has seen its fair share of stabbings and shootings, and in light of that "a number of local politicians and churches are sponsoring a prayer rally and concert to protest the recent spate of violence in the Southside." One of the latest crimes took place over the East River recently at the daylight drenched hour of 4:45 p.m. The Brooklyn Paper reported that "a gun-toting thug tried to mug a 28-year-old man as he walked across the Williamsburg Bridge on July 24, but the courageous victim wrestled the firearm away." The rally will take place tomorrow, August 2nd, at 5 p.m. at Continental Plaza on Roebling and S. 5th Street.

The Dow ended the day up over 276 points to 11,239.28, thanks to higher-than- estimated profit at mortgage underwriter Wells Fargo. Even Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rose over 15% today. The bad news: Consumer prices increased "at the fastest pace in 26 years", the FBI is investigating IndyMac for fraud and even usually "recession- proof" chocolate is hit during these harder times.

City councilman and mayoral hopeful Tony Avella held a press conference today at City Hall to spotlight a pending council resolution urging the New York State Senate to outlaw force-feeding ducks and geese to produce foie gras. A bill to ban the practice is languishing in Albany, and Avella hopes his largely symbolic gesture will push it forward.

Rallies aren’t just for grassroots activists – moneyed developers can hold them too, as Bruce Ratner proved yesterday by financing an afternoon rally in downtown Brooklyn to support his beleaguered Atlantic Yards project. Organizers of the so-called “Brooklyn Day” event handed out free hot dogs and T-shirts to passersby in an attempt to drum up enthusiasm for the $4.2 billion project, though there were no free turkeys to fully evoke the Tammany Hall spirit.

Reverend Billy climbed to the roof of the Pavilion building in Union Square last night around 6:30 p.m. to hang a banner reading: Not For Sale. While he was up there, he gave the passersby a lesson on why the historic free speech structure cannot be turned into a private, upscale restaurant; reminding people that the first Labor Day in 1882 took place there, and that one "shouldn’t have to buy a $15 appetizer to have access to this building.”

Somehow, race relations in Crown Heights, Brooklyn have taken a huge hop, skip, and a jump back to the 1980s, when tensions between African Americans and the Jewish community kept the city on tenterhooks. In recent weeks, attacks on young people, both black and Jewish, have driven people to protest in the streets. The Post headlines its article on a neighborhood protest "Jewish Blood Is Not Cheap," echoing the sentiment of one of approximately 300 protestors calling for justice after a 16-year-old young man was beaten and robbed yesterday.

Many hundreds of people marched yesterday to push immigration reform into the election year spotlight. With rallies being held in other cities in the country and world, the marchers gathered at Union Square and then headed down Broadway to the the Jacob Javits Federal Office Building, where immigrations officials have offices.

Olympics planners and San Francisco authorities made many attempts (making up the route as it went along) to prevent demonstrators from disrupting the Olympic torch's only North American appearance on Wednesday, they couldn't stop a torch bearer from the Bronx from expressing her pro-Tibet sympathies.