‘Food, water & justice’ is chant in city
FRUSTRATION WITH the federal response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico spilled into the streets of Manhattan Thursday, as hundreds of protesters raised their voices in anger.
A crowd of demonstrators gathered outside the Javits Federal Building near Foley Square to chant, sing and share their vexation over the Trump administration’s handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
American and Puerto Rican flags flew above the crowd (photo inset), next to signs that read “food, water, justice” and “people over debt.”
Many took aim at President Trump, blasting him for spending much of the weekend attacking athletes on social media instead of focusing on the devastation in the Caribbean.
“The conditions in Puerto Rico are horrendous and the response has been horrendous,” said Albert Lopez, 61, a porter who lives in Glendale, Queens. “It seems to me Donald Trump is more concerned with the NFL and the kneeling. You have patients in the hospital that are dying because they can’t get their medications, and people can’t labor under the heat, and he’s more worried about the NFL? I mean, are you kidding me?”
The U.S. territory’s aged infrastructure was heavily damaged by the storm, leaving 97% of the island’s 3.4 million residents without power. Relief efforts have been hampered by a fuel shortage and other logistic issues that protesters say the federal government should have prioritized.
“The consequences of this devastation could have been avoided had the government responded sooner,” said Ulla Berg, 43, an anthropologist from Park Slope, Brooklyn.
People in passing cars, city buses and tour buses honked and shouted from windows in solidarity, riling up the crowd.
Eric Ramos, 48, a Puerto Rican architect who lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, said it is “absurd” that eight days have passed and many Puerto Ricans don’t know when they will have clean water or a hot meal.
“It’s something horrible. We feel sad, we feel outraged,” he said.
Sylvia Marti-Lopez, 61, a court clerk whose family is from the island, said she hoped the rally would bring more attention to the issue.
“I think it’s important,” she said. “I think you just have to show strength and hopefully there will be a change. First, we have to get rid of Donald Trump, but that’s another issue.”