2,000 community members protest Trump appearance at Tenney fundraiser
Two thousand community members and multiple local organizations protested Donald Trump’s appearance at a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for Rep. Claudia Tenney at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica.
Participating organizations included SEIU 1199, New York State Council of Churches, Indivisible Mohawk Valley, Citizen Action of New York, Minister Alliance, Sierra Club and Planned Parenthood.
Tenney has been one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress, voting to cut health care benefits, to slash taxes on corporations and the very wealthy and to support racist and inhumane immigration policies.
Recently, Tenney criticized New York’s minimum wage, calling it a “burden,” during a Tele-Town Hall from Washington, D.C.
Local residents and activists came out in large numbers to condemn the hateful and reckless policies of Donald Trump and his administration. They criticized Tenney for her forceful support of Trump’s agenda and inaccessibility to working people in the 22nd Congressional District.
Demonstrators chanted slogans like “Donald Trump has got to go,” “Vote Tenney out” and “One-term Tenney.” They carried signs like “Not Hate, No Fear, Immigrants are Welcome Here,” “Bless the Press,” “No Cages for Kids,” “Nobody is above the Law” and “Elect a Clown, Expect a Circus.”
“The best way to defeat Republicans is to defeat congressional Republicans like Claudia Tenney in this year’s midterm elections,” said John Furman of the Utica Chapter of Citizen Action of New York. “People can make a big difference this year by mobilizing voters, getting people to register and voting.
“The results of this year’s elections will determine whether America continues to remain a nation that stands for human rights, protects its elderly and disabled, respects the rule of law and represents the many – not the few. Programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are at stake this year.”
Some of the speakers included the Rev. Peter Cook – New York Statewide Council of Churches, Tasha Cooper -Health Care Workers 1199/SEIU, Delvin Moody – Minister Alliance, Rhea Jezer of Sierra Club/League of Conservation Voters and Bill Perrotti of the Central New York Labor Council.
For more information on Citizen Action of New York, call 315.725.0974 or cnycitizenaction@gmail.com.