Dromm ‘miffed’ after Democratic Socialists rally at his home
BY BILL PARRY
Jackson Heights is no stranger
to protests and rallies, so it was no
surprise that Black Lives Matter has
marched through the neighborhood
several times following the policeinvolved
killing of George Floyd. On
Thursday, what appeared to be a BLM
rally turned into a protest by members
of the Democratic Socialists of
America with a surprising target.
A group of more than a hundred
protesters broke away from a Travers
Park rally and made their way several
blocks away to the home of Councilman
Daniel Dromm, demanding he
do more to defund the NYPD during
the upcoming budget negotiations
between the City Council and the de
Blasio administration.
“I wouldn’t say they were dangerous,
but they were threatening,”
Dromm told QNS. “They stood outside
my building and chanted, ‘If you don’t
come down, we’re coming up.’ I knew
they weren’t constituents of mine because
they were calling me Daniel. In
this neighborhood, everyone calls me
Danny.”
The most incongruous aspect to
the target of the protest, Dromm said,
is that he has been leading them since
the early 1990s, not targeted by them.
Dromm is a pioneer of the LGBT
rights movement in Queens; he organized
the first Queens LGBT Pride
Parade and Festival. He has been at
the forefront of the criminal justice
reform movement, but as Chair of
the Council’s Finance Committee,
Dromm has felt pressure to defund
the NYPD.
He was more than surprised to
learn that while they carried BLM
banners and signs, this protest was
led by members of the Democratic
Ease Your Family’s
Worries During a
Difficult Time.
TIMESLEDGER |8 QNS.COM | JUNE 26-JULY 2, 2020
Socialists of America.
“Two of them actually got into my
building, came up to the second floor,
and got to my door and were banging
on it as the chants continued outside
but before a porter got rid of them
they slipped a DSA-NYC action flier
under my door,” Dromm said. “These
folks were DSA.”
The ultra-left wing of the progressive
movement in western Queens
had targeted an elected official whose
own political actions align closely
with the protestors. On police reform
alone, Dromm has been a tireless advocate
to reform stop-and-frisk policies,
end solitary confinement and
bring transparency to the Rikers
Island jail complex.
“I believe this protest was totally
inappropriate, violated my privacy,
and was probably illegal,” Dromm
said. “In many ways, I agree with the
protesters’ agenda, so I am miffed
at why they would choose to protest
an ally. The protest was misguided
and cost the Democratic Socialists
validity in the eyes of most of my
constituents.”
Dromm called on Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a star in
the DSA movement, to condemn the
protest but so far only Brooklyn state
Senator Julia Salazar, another DSA
boldface name, has questioned the
logic of protesting at Dromm’s home.
“I don’t think it’s strategic or constructive
to aggressively knock on the
door of CM Dromm,” Salazar tweeted.
“But I won’t endeavor to speak for the
DSA’s 66,000+ members, and a few individuals
likewise don’t represent the
whole decentralized org.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail
at bparry@schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
QNS fi le photo
With a Sinai Chapels funeral pre-arrangement,
your family is relieved of making funeral
arrangements at a most difficult time.
For four generations, we have served New York’s
Jewish Community. Our experienced funeral
directors will personally guide you through the
options and help you organize a pre-need plan.
To learn more, contact us today:
718.445.0300 | 800.446.0406
link
/QNS.COM
link
