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Oct. 25-31, 2019
More than 20,000 people attend Bernie
Sanders rally at LIC’s Queensbridge Park
Bernie Sanders energizes the crowd during his rally at Queensbridge Park. Photo by Todd Maisel
BY TODD MAISEL
Vermont Senator Bernie
Sanders’ campaign for the
Democratic presidential nomination
received a big boost
on Saturday in Long Island
City, where Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
endorsed him before a crowd
of more than 20,000 people at
Queensbridge Park.
Official crowd estimates
were not available, but some
police commanders said the
gathering “exceeded expectations.”
This was Sanders’ comeback
rally after suffering a
heart last month. Despite his
health setback, the Vermont
senator was as fiery as ever on
a myriad of issues from Medicare
for all, taxing the rich,
free college tuition and supporting
Ocasio-Cortez’s environmental
plan known as the
“Green New Deal.”
“To put it bluntly, I am
back. I am more than ready
to assume to job of president
of the United States,” Sanders
boomed to a raucous mass of
poster waving supporters.
Ocasio-Cortez previously
worked as a volunteer for the
Sanders campaign in 2016. She
applauded his consistency on
social issues that, she said,
impact her constituents and
“most of America.” She called
the endorsement “a moment of
clarity.”
The Bronx/Queens congresswoman
ticked off a litany
of issues faced by her constituents
and people across America,
much of which affected
her family growing up in
New York City. She also spoke
about what she called were
“racist policies of underfunding
of NYCHA housing.” The
park is across the street from
the Queensbridge Houses, a
NYCHA complex.
“Public housing is under
funded by $30 billion and that
is no accident — an outcome
of a system that devalues the
poor and working people and
prioritizes buildings like those
buildings over there (pointed
to Manhattan skyline),” she
said.
Senator Sanders in turn
promised a “multi-billion”
revitalization and repair program
if elected that would correct
some of the lack of funding
provided by the federal
government.
Filmmaker/activist Michael
Moore and San Juan,
Puerto Rico Mayor Carmen
Yulin Cruz — a frequent foil
of President Trump in their
war of words over assistance
for Puerto Rico following Hurricane
Maria in 2017 — also appeared
at the rally to endorse
Sanders.
At the end of his speech,
Sanders was joined on the
stage by members of his family,
including his wife Dr. Jane
Sanders and several grandchildren.
Most of the crowd vowed to
enthusiastically support him
in the primaries.
“We really need Bernie,
and we obviously have to get
Trump out,” said Melissa
Tolve of Harlem, who sat on
the ground with her friend,
Andrew Gayle. “I trust him
more than anyone else that’s
running and he’s been consistent.
His plan makes the most
sense: direct more money to
community and health care.”
“I’m a teacher so I think
that Bernie’s plan if I want to
stop being a teacher, I could get
health care,” said Juliana Ritter
from Bedford Stuyvesant. “I
think Bernie’s ideas will only
help my retirement plans and I
would get more security.”
A small group of Trump
supporters gathered outside
the gates of the rally, chanting
their “disgust” of Sanders
while touting Trump as their
savior. Sanders supporters
traded barbs with about two
dozen of the Trump boosters as
a group of NYPD police officers
separated the two sides to prevent
any physical altercation.
Vol. 7 No. 43 52 total pages
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