Photo by Lisa Gomez
Throngs of union members and supporters flooded the streets surrounding City Hall late afternoon on Thursday to protest proposed tax cutsby Mayor Bloomberg and Govenor Paterson. Among the unions present were SEIU 1199, DC37, and UFT (United Federation of Teachers). According to the linked Daily Newsarticle, Bloomberg plans to cut “13,930 teachers and classroom employees”, while Paterson’s plan includes a $771 million cut from the city’s school spending.
The protestors gathered along Broadway, causing side streets to be blocked off by the NYPD. Their chants of “They say cut back, we say no” echoed throughout the neighborhood.
Photo by Lisa Gomez
Along Church St., members of SEIU 1199 handed out signs, t-shirts, hats, and stickers to rally support for the cause. Dan, an organizer for SEIU 1199, said that he believed that the cuts would take away from the quality of life in the city.
Buses continued to drop supporters off as the crowd went well past Worth St. When asked what she hoped Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson’s reactions would be to seeing the large crowd, DC37 member Thomasina Bryson said, “I hope it scares the sh** out of them.”
Photo by Lisa Gomez
