Racial Justice and Overdose - Activists demand NYC Mayor to release report on Safer Consumption Spaces

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New York, NY - At the steps of City hall on April 26, 2018, elected officials, Black and Latinx community leaders, civil rights and legal advocates, medical professionals, housing activists, harm reduction advocates, and drug policy reformers demanded the Mayor release the feasibility study on Safer Consumption Spaces (SCS) that was due last fall. 

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Speakers illustrated the many intersections of the overdose crisis and the urgent need to implement SCS throughout New York City—especially in the communities that have historically borne the double trauma of high overdose deaths and devastating criminalization due to the War on Drugs scorched earth approach.

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In the midst of the opioid crisis, lawmakers and the media have increasingly highlighted strategies that treat drug use as a public health issue. But despite the rhetoric of a “gentler war on drugs,” certain communities perceived to be newly struggling with overdose have often been prioritized over communities that have long grappled with overdose—especially communities in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn that faced some of the harshest crackdowns under draconian drug war tactics.

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Speakers called on the Mayor to recognize the disproportionate toll of overdoses in communities of color and demand an equitable distribution of public health resources to help all people in need—first and foremost safer consumption spaces, which have been proven to save lives.

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The Mayor must take action on this issue to prevent more deaths after thousands have already passed away: “At a time where addressing the overdose epidemic requires innovation and compassion, Mayor Bill De Blasio and and First Lady Chirlane McCray have the audacity to look New Yorkers in the face and tell them that their community’s lives are only worth saving if they have the patience and stamina to sit through the muddled spiral of a hotline number. We called the prized 1-888-NYC-WELL number and were told naloxone would cost $136 without insurance, and were directed to call 311 to find where free naloxone was available. During another call, because the person calling uses heroin, the caller was told they would have to be assessed by a clinic to ‘see’ if they are eligible to receive naloxone. Both the Mayor and the First Lady have refused to take a position on the well-researched, public health intervention of Safer Consumption Spaces (SCS)—which are guaranteed to save lives from overdose.

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By promoting a hotline in which callers experience the humiliating process of outing oneself to an operator when needing naloxone, the First Lady, titled chief stigma buster by the Mayor, is doing all but busting stigma. Even more, the Mayor, during a town hall in the Bronx (the borough hardest hit by the overdose crisis), had the nerve to have the community repeat the 1-888 number three times while simultaneously disregarding the evidence of SCS.

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It is the administration’s ignorance of SCS public health function, and politics, that is keeping this intervention at bay. The Mayor and First Lady do not recognize that people who use drugs need more compassion and services than an operator or a pharmacy (that may or may not have naloxone). If the administration doesn’t act to implement SCS, they are responsible for the lives lost in this crisis.”

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#Activism #BillDeBlasio #CityHall #DeBlasio #DirectAction #displacement #DrugAddiction #DrugPolicy #EndOverdoseNY #GMHC #HousingWorks #humanrights #MayorDeBlasio #NewYork #NewYorkCity #NYC #OpioidCrisis #OurCity #PeacefulProtest #PeacefulResistance #rally #SaferConsumptionSpaces #VocalNY #YesToSCS

© Erik McGregor - erikrivas@hotmail.com - 917-225-8963

Over 1500 New Yorkers protest Gov. Cuomo’s climate dishonesty in Albany, 55 arrested in a non-violent act of civil disobedience to magnify demands for immediate climate action

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ALBANY, NY – In the largest climate rally in Albany history, on the day after Earth Day, more than 1500 people marched on the New York Capitol on April 23, 2018, as part of the Cuomo: Walk the Talk on Climate! day of action, telling the Governor to back three collective demands: to halt all fracking infrastructure, to transition New York to 100-percent renewable energy, and to make corporate polluters pay for the damage they cause to New Yorkers’ health and the environment. 

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Governor's seat candidates participated in the protest, Democrat Cynthia Nixon marched the streets of Albany and Green Party's Howie Hawkins marched and got arrested later at the Hall of Governors in the Capitol Building. Actor and activist James Cromwell was also among the 55 people arrested at the Hall of Governors in a non-violent act of civil disobedience to magnify demands for immediate climate action.

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With over one hundred endorsing organizations, the march brought together New Yorkers impacted by climate change and the fossil fuel industry from Buffalo to Long Island. “Our state needs true climate leadership in the age of Trump, and unfortunately Cuomo has been long on rhetoric and short on substance,” said Laura Shindell, New York Organizer at Food and Water Watch. 

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The march started in Sheridan Hollow at the proposed site of a 16-megawatt power plant, intended to power Empire State Plaza. “The proposed fracked-gas plant in Sheridan Hollow exposes the phoniness of Cuomo’s environmentalism,” said Bob Cohen, Policy Director at Citizen Action of New York. “Black and brown neighborhoods don’t deserve to have toxic fumes pumped into the air. No neighborhood does.”

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“Now is the time say no to new fossil fuel projects, move towards 100-percent renewables and make polluters pay. The extractionist economy does the most harm to two groups–those already impacted by racism and marginalization, and future generations who will inherit the pollution we put into the air today,” said Karenna Gore, Director of the Center for Earth Ethics. “Governor Cuomo has made some great environmental decisions and delivered some important statements. Today, I hope he will take the concrete steps necessary to meet the challenge of climate change.”.

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As people rallied on the Million Dollar Staircase, a group of activists sat in outside Governor Cuomo’s office, sharing stories of how they have been impacted by climate change and pollution before being led out in handcuffs. Civil disobedience is a tactic growing more common in the climate movement in the face of federal and state inaction. “Since 2011, we have worked diligently with the system by following lawful procedure,” said Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project, which seeks to replace fracked-gas infrastructure with renewable energy sources. “We now must escalate to civil disobedience in order to protect our health, safety and democracy.”

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Just last month, a district judge in Massachusetts found thirteen protesters not guilty after they obstructed construction of a fracked-gas pipeline, a historic ruling in favor of the “climate necessity defense.” “For decades our elected officials have failed to appropriately address the climate crisis,” said Tim DeChristopher, founder of the Climate Disobedience Center and defendant who participated today in New York. “In the face of that failure, more and more regular people are stepping up to take direct action to resist the imminent threat of the fossil fuel industry.”

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“Climate change is an emergency,” said Dan Sherrell, Campaign Coordinator of New York Renews. “Governor Cuomo's modest actions to date don’t match the scale and urgency of the problem. That's why we’re at his doorstep today.”

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#A23 #Activism #ActOnClimate #Albany #arrests #CapitolBuilding #CivilDisobedience #cleanenergy #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #climatejustice #CommunitiesFightBack #CommunityOrganizations #CuomoWalkTheTalk #DefendPeoplePower #EnergyDemocracy #energyefficiency #EnergyIndependence #FoodAndWaterWatch #FossilFree #GovernorCuomo #HallOfGovernors #infrackstructure #KeepItIntheGround #MakePollutersPay #MakeREVreal #NewYork #NYCC #NYrenews #OffFossilFuels #RenewableEnergy #SaneEnergyProject #SaneSolutions #StopCPV #WarRoom #YOUAREHERE

© Erik McGregor - erikrivas@hotmail.com - 917-225-8963

After attacks from Cuomo threatening to defund groups endorsing Nixon, Community Organizations rally with Elected Officials to defend their work and future

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New York, NY — Community organizations, and many elected officials held an emergency rally in Foley Square on April 19, 2018, to defend themselves following Governor Cuomo’s widely reported threats defund to grassroots community organizations led by working-class and immigrant New Yorkers of color. In a strong, unified voice, the organizations made it clear that community organizing in New York is here to stay and must be respected by all elected officials and political leaders. 

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The event follows on the heels of Cuomo telling union representatives last week that they must either defund Citizen Action NY, Make the Road Action, and New York Communities for Change, or else they should “lose my number,”—all because the organizations endorsed Cuomo’s opponent Cynthia Nixon. 

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Cuomo also reportedly pulled the organizations’ 990 tax forms, clearly illustrating his intention to attack them. Despite Cuomo’s threats, these three organizations held fast to their principles, and they, along with Community Voices Heard Power will continue to work together to fight for stronger rent laws, stand up to real estate and hedge fund billionaires, push for passage of the Dream Act and driver’s licenses for all, and equitable funding of the state’s public school system.

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At the rally, they were joined by several elected officials, including: State Senator James Sanders and City Council Members Carlos Menchaca, Antonio Reynoso, Ben Kallos, Brad Lander, and Jimmy Van Bramer.

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Participants in the event discussed the important role that community organizations play in defending immigrants against deportation; fighting against the displacement and harassment of tenants; protecting low-wage workers against wage theft and mistreatment; and fighting for access to health care and high-quality public education for all.

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Members and leaders of the following community organizations spoke at the rally today: Citizen Action of New York (CANY), Community Voices Heard Power (CVHP), Make the Road Action (MRA), New York Communities for Change (NYCC), Alliance for Quality Education, Working Families Party, with allies supporting from Indivisible Nation BK, NY Progressive Action Network, True Blue NY, Justice League NYC, Empire State Indivisible, Met Council on Housing, Tenants and Neighbors, and Rise and Resist.

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“We knew that Governor Cuomo was ruthless, but threatening to defund community groups that stand with working people and vulnerable populations is a step too far. Citizen Action won’t be intimidated by Cuomo’s threats. We will continue to mobilize our members to push for equitable school funding, campaign finance reform, and quality health care for all New Yorkers," said Stanley Fritz, Campaign Manager for Citizen Action of New York. "Citizen Action and its community allies want Governor Cuomo to know that we aren't going anywhere."

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"I was there when the right-wing took down ACORN -- it caused real damage to hundreds of thousands of low-income families across this country," said Marie Pierre, chair of NY Communities for Change. "It is despicable that the Democratic governor in New York is now trying to destroy community organizations in our state. We will not back down in the face of these threats, and we will continue to fight for affordable housing, good jobs, and a better life for all New Yorkers."

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Bill Lipton, Director of New York Working Families Party, said: "These community organizations are the frontline of resistance against Trump. Every day they do the hard work fighting deportations, evictions, unsafe housing conditions and more. WFP is proud to stand in solidarity with our community leaders in their fight against these threats and for a NY that includes all of us."

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The groups also announced a new Community Defense Fund has been set up to support the work of these courageous community organizations under attack: http://communitydefensefund.org/.

The New York City Council Progressive Caucus and Assemblymembers Nily Rozic, Tremaine Wright, and Dick Gottfried signed onto the following statement of support:

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“As elected officials representing diverse communities across New York, we stand in deep solidarity with these community organizations, who are at the front lines of the fight for respect and dignity for all New Yorkers. Every day, these organizations undertake the most pressing work in our democracy—fighting for the rights of working-class New Yorkers, immigrants, LGBTQ community and people of color. Their members and staff work tirelessly to safeguard immigrant families from deportation, help tenants stand up to unscrupulous landlords and stay in their homes, ensure that workers are paid a living wage, to fight for all New Yorkers to have access to quality health care and fully-funded public schools, protect and expand LGBTQ rights and more. At a time when the Trump administration has declared war on our communities, it’s more critical than ever that organizations like Citizen Action of New York, Community Voices Heard Power, Make the Road Action, and New York Communities for Change be allowed—and indeed, encouraged—to continue their indispensable work. We are committed to standing strong with these incredible organizations.”

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New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, added: “Immigrants and working-class New Yorkers rely on these community organizations to help them fight for their rights and basic everyday needs. Whether fighting deportations, keeping people in their homes, or advancing the policy changes our communities need, these groups and their members are on the front lines of the fight for social, economic, and racial justice every day. I applaud their enormous contributions to our city and state, and I will stand strong with them today, tomorrow, and forever.” 

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#Activism #AndrewCuomo #AntonioReynoso #BenKallos #BillLipton #BradLander #CarlosMenchaca #CitizenActionNY #CommunitiesFightBack #CommunityOrganizations #CommunityVoicesHeard #CynthiaNixon #DefendPeoplePower #DirectAction #ElectedOfficials #FoleySquare #GovernorCuomo #MakeTheRoadNY #NewYork #NYC #NYCC #NYCityCouncil #politics #ProgressiveCaucus #Protest #rally #RiseAndResist #WorkingFamiliesParty

© Erik McGregor - erikrivas@hotmail.com - 917-225-8963

Tax March 2018 - The People's Tax Day Action Festival at Foley Square

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New York, NY - On Tax Day, April 17, 2018, one year after the first Tax March, communities across the country are taking action and speaking out against the Trump Tax. Grassroots activists, elected officials, and community leaders joined together at more than 100 events happening from coast to coast to fight for an economy that works for all Americans, not just the wealthy few. In New York City, activists held the People's Tax Day Action Festival at Foley Square. 

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On the anniversary of last year’s historic march, we will come together once again to express our outrage at Trump and Republicans. We demand that Congress #RepealTheTrumpTax and Trump finally fulfill his promise of releasing his tax returns.

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On the anniversary of the 2017 Tax March, people across the country came together to demand an end to the Trump Tax, which will raise taxes for 92 million middle-class families, rip health care away from 13 million people, and threaten life-saving programs — all to give tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations. Add your name below for more information on how to get involved.

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On Tax Day, Tuesday, April 17, Tax March and Not One Penny will host an event at the Capitol to call on Congress to Repeal the Trump Tax. Leader Schumer and Leader Pelosi, alongside their colleagues in the Senate and House, will discuss the disastrous impact the Trump Tax is having on middle-class families, and will demand that Republicans give not one penny in tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations.

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The Tax March is a growing national movement that extends far beyond one day of marching. Led by everyday Americans who are tired of systems that are rigged in favor of the super-rich, the Tax March movement maintains that any reform to the tax code should be about closing loopholes for the wealthy and big corporations and building an economy that invests in working families.

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The Republican tax scam does just the opposite. In order to give tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations, the TrumpTax raises taxes for 92 million middle-class families, rips health care away from 13 million people, and threatens life-saving programs millions of Americans rely on.

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More than 125,000 people came out on Tax Day 2017 to demand Donald Trump’s tax returns and a fairer tax system for all. On the anniversary of this historic march, people from across the country will come together once again to express their outrage at Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress for passing one of the least popular tax bills in recent history.

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With a coalition of more than 70 partner organizations and an executive committee of some of the country’s top social justice leaders and policy experts, the Tax March will continue to fight for a fair economy that works for us all. Through on-the-ground organizing nationwide, representation in town halls, and amplification on social media and in the press, the Tax March will ensure that President Trump and Congress hear us loud and clear: The TrumpTax MUST GO.

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#Activism #DirectAction #DumpTrump #FoleySquare #ImpeachTrump #MangoMussolini #NewYorkCity #NoTaxesForWar #NotMyPresident #NYC #NotAPenny #Protest #RepealTheTrumpTax #ResistTrump #RiseAndResist #StopTrumpsTaxScam #TaxBill #TaxDay #TaxDayProtest #TaxMarch #TaxReform #TrumpTaxScam 

© Erik McGregor - erikrivas@hotmail.com - 917-225-8963

All Out: STOP Bombing Syria - National Day of Actions to end U.S. Wars at Home and Abroad

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New York, NY - Hundreds took to the streets as antiwar and social justice groups organized a demonstration on April 15, 2018 in New York City, with a rally at Herald Square and march to Trump Tower as part of national regional spring actions throughout the country against the US bombing of Syria and opposing endless U.S. wars.

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With the recent escalation by the Trump administration of the wars in Afghanistan and Syria and threats to North Korea and Venezuela; huge increases in military spending and the threats of nuclear war; as well as increasing attacks on the rights of workers and communities of color and the dangerous growth of white supremacist forces, the time is now to return to the street to make our voices heard.

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Additionally, Trump has now announce that he will hold a military parade to show off the might of the US military. This will clearly be seen as a threat by the entire world.

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This is part of nationally called regional actions that will take place around the country to challenge the war makers and defend humanity.

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The largest U.S./NATO military mobilization since the 2003 invasion of Iraq has moved into position off the coast of Syria, including U.S. nuclear aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. The bombing of Damascus is underway. Trump and the Pentagon's criminal attack on Syria endangers us all.

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Already tens of thousands have died in U.S. effort to overturn the Syrian government. This U.S. attack could lead to World War III.

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With no legal authority - and in clear violation of international law - the Trump Administration has started its criminal attack on the people of Syria. It is urgent for all of us express our strong opposition to another US war. Oppose all U.S. wars, nuclear threats, sanctions, coups and bases.Fund Human Needs, Not Endless Wars.

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#Activism #AirStrike #demonstration #FreeSyria #genocide #HandsOffSyria #humanrights #NewYorkCity #NotMyPresident #NoWar #NYC #NYC2Syria #NYCSolidarityWithSyria #RefugeeCrisis #RefugeesWelcome #refusefascism #ResistTrump #SaveSyria #SilencedNoMore #StandUp4Syrians #StandWithSyria #StopEndlessWars #stopthewar #Syria #SyriaCrisis #USmilitary #WarCrimes #WarIsARacket #warmonger #WeWillNotBeSilent 

© Erik McGregor - erikrivas@hotmail.com - 917-225-8963