Another huge anti-Trump protest filled NYC streets yesterday, this time led by the LGBTQ community and its allies in the fight against fascism.
Packing the area between Sixth and Seventh Avenues around that icon of not taking any shit any more, the Stonewall Inn, thousands of people stood for hours in the cold in order to shout out their disgust for America's President and his cabinet of horrors.
There were a whole host of politicians on hand, including Senator Chuck Schumer, Council Member Corey Johnson, State Senator Brad Holyman, Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Public Advocate Letitia James, who continued her winning streak of fiery speeches during this season of mass protest.
A wide range of activists and community leaders also took their turn at the podium.
Part of my speech at the LGBT solidarity rally organized by @CoreyinNYC, @EqualityNewYork and others—justice prevails! #NoBanNoWall pic.twitter.com/kQ7WSzaeHH
— Luis F. Mancheno (@LuisFMancheno) February 5, 2017
Cheeky signs--"God Hates Bans"; "Trump Is One Asshole I'd Never Fuck"--added some welcome humor to the palpable anger, and Gays Against Guns put on a seemingly well-rehearsed revue over on Seventh Avenue, featuring such parody songs like "America, The Pitiful" and "Nasty Neonazi" (sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle).
The NYPD was out in force, and a maze of barricades somewhat hindered the crowd's movement. At the end of the three-hour rally the vast majority of demonstrators dispersed peacefully, though there was some scuffling with police. Witness reports and the video below show police officers taking a few individuals into custody. Today, the NYPD says that there were no arrests during yesterday's rally.
An ACLU attorney who was at the protest and witnessed the encounter told Gothamist that the four people "were linking arms, just very peacefully, and there's no mandate to move traffic, since there were fences. Someone went up to the officer and said they were fighting, but no one was fighting. And one cop came over -- just a low officer on the ranking -- and grabbed [a demonstrator's] throat and put her throat on the ground. This kind of stuff, it can not keep happening."
A police officer was overheard by a Gothamist reporter telling the ACLU attorney, "We had a wonderful day, and maybe that shouldn't haven't happened."
Additional reporting by Jake Offenhartz