Protesters in Midtown leave bodybags at Trump properties
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
Two weeks after thousands of New
Yorkers celebrated President-elect
Joe Biden’s win over President
Trump in the streets of New York City,
Refuse Fascism activists gathered on Nov.
21 in Columbus Circle to protest Trump’s
refusal to concede the race, thus delaying
a peaceful transition of power.
They delivered their message not just
with signs and chants, but also makeshift
body bags, to Trump Tower and International
Hotel in Midtown — symbolizing the
massive loss of American life during the
second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sabel Boo of Refuse Fascism addressed
the group of about 25 protestors before
heading to Trump International.
“These bodybags represent the 250,000
people who have died from COVID and the
thousands more that will because of Donald
Trump blocking this transition to a Biden/
Harris administration,” Boo said. “This will
result in even more deaths.”
Referring to a recently published New
York Times article that the President
intends bombing Iran before leaving office,
she said, “This will result in death of
international dimensions.”
She also addressed the supporters of
President Trump, who has been claiming
election fraud and has filed numerous
lawsuits challenging the election outcome.
“This delay in the transition of power,
the peaceful transition, is fascist. And
he Trump is whipping up his followers
behind a lie of election fraud. This is
dangerous,” Boo added. “We are out here
to deliver a message to Donald Trump.
This election is over. You lost! Stop this
murderous COVID program, stop these
dangerous war moves, and stop whipping
up MAGA-fascist mobs in the street. You
lost, time to go.”
Artist and activist Jamal Mims fired up
the small crowd with some strong choice
words, “Trump pack your s–t, you are illegitimate!
It is so important that we are
here together to say no to all of this s–t; to
do what is necessary to drive Trump out of
the White House.”
The group, led by Sabel Boo’s young son,
then marched over to Trump International,
Refuse Fascism protestors deliver makeshift body bags representing COVID-19
victims to Trump International Tower and Hotel in New York City on Nov. 21, 2020.
where they placed the body bags on the
sidewalk outside the property under the
watchful eye of NYPD officers and onlookers,
who, at times, cheered them on.
There, speakers called on the protesters to
pledge that they would refuse to give up the
PHOTO BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
country to a fascist regime, nonviolently,
but defiantly.
Saturday’s protest in New York City was
part of a nationwide call to action. Similar protests
were scheduled in cities like Los Angeles,
Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, and Philadelphia.
Hate crimes begin to spike amid uptick
in victims of anti-trans attacks
BY MATT TRACY
GAY CITY NEWS
Hate crimes soared nationwide last
year to new heights not seen in
more than a decade, according to
new FBI data, and there was an increase in
the number of victims targeted on the basis
of gender identity.
The 2019 nationwide statistics were
announced just weeks after the NYPD
reported fresher numbers showing a more
recent drop in hate crimes this year compared
to last year in New York City.
But the release of the annual nationwide
FBI report, which includes information on
race, sexual orientation, gender identity,
and other demographics, revealed concerning
longer-term patterns. Law enforcement
agencies logged 7,314 criminal incidents,
according to the FBI, for a total of 8,559
related offenses. Last year marked an
increase of nearly 200 criminal incidents
from the year before and represented the
third consecutive year with at least 7,100
criminal incidents across the United States.
The cases overwhelmingly pertained to
single-issue bias incidents, 57.6% of which
were tied to offenders’ bias in relation to
race, ethnicity, or ancestry.
Members of the Proud Boys have been egged on the hate-filled drivel flowing
from President Donald Trump’s mouth.
The number of victims who were
targeted on the basis of gender identity
increased from 189 last year to 227 this
year. Meanwhile, there were 1,429 victims
targeted for their sexual orientation in 2019
compared to 1,445 victims last year.
Of the bias incidents that were motivated
by homophobia in 2019, 28% occurred in
or near residences, 22% happened on highways,
roads, alleys, streets, or sidewalks,
REUTERS
and 7.3% were at schools or colleges. Gender
identity-based crimes showed a somewhat
similar pattern, with 25.8 percent of
such incidents occurring at a residence or
home and 25.3% happening on highways,
roads, alleys, streets, or sidewalks.
Time will tell whether those numbers
will improve this year, but some encouraging
signs are emerging out of New York
City. Hate crimes have dipped by 34% so
far this year in the five boroughs. There
were 26 sexual orientation-related hate
crimes through November 1 of this year
compared to 44 at the same point last
year — a 41 percent decrease — though
the chart provided by the NYPD does not
specify a category for gender identity.
Anti-Muslim hate crimes dipped by 75%
in the five boroughs, anti-Semitic hate
crimes were reduced by 49%, and hate
crimes targeting Hispanic individuals decreased
by 83%. Thirty-three hate crimes
targeted Black individuals, up from 32 at
the same point last year, and anti-Asian
hate crimes remained the same.
The nationwide and local numbers are
surfacing during a record-breaking year of
violence targeting transgender, gender nonconforming,
and non-binary individuals
across the nation, especially trans women
of color.
At least 37 transgender or non-binary individuals
have suffered violent deaths this
year across the nation and many families
are still seeking justice for those victims.
Due to a patchwork system of state laws,
many locations lack non-discrimination
protections or hate crimes laws protecting
individuals on the basis of sexual orientation
or gender identity.
4 November 26, 2020 Schneps Media