De Blas spurs ‘Trumplock’
Mass protest at Columbus Circle
Mayor de Blasio caused a rush-hour traffic headache for New Yorkers Thursday night as he joined a group of celebrities in the heart of Manhattan to push his antiTrump political agenda.
All vehicular traffic was stopped on Central Park West near the Trump International Hotel & Tower at about 6 p.m. as an estimated 20,000 people turned out for the star-studded event.
Jumbo screens and a giant stage at West 60th Street near Central Park didn’t help matters, causing pedestrian gridlock in and around the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station.
“It’s terrible. I just want to go home,” fumed Mary Aliaj, a 30-year-old Staten Islander who works at the nearby Valery Joseph Salon.
“It’s worse [than Trump],” she said. “This is disturbing. I don’t think [the mayor] is going to solve anything. They should have done it somewhere that doesn’t stop other people.
“It’s wasting time and disturbing other people.”
The protest featured appearances by de Blasio, Alec Baldwin, Cher, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Mark Ruffalo, Rosie Perez, Shailene Woodley, Robert De Niro and Natalie Merchant.
“Donald Trump may control the agenda in Washington but we control our destiny as Americans,” the mayor said.
“The country doesn’t reside in Washington, DC. It’s every city and town in America where change is made.
“We’re here tonight and we should not let anyone define us just by what we’re against. We want to be defined by what we’re for.”
But not every New Yorker thinks that the mayor’s actions are in the best interests of the city.
A Quinnipiac poll found New Yorkers nearly evenly divided over the issue, with 46 percent against and 45 percent in favor.
One in the “against” camp was a man who identified himself only as Sam, 25, of Hell’s Kitchen.
“Obviously, de Blasio isn’t a fan of Trump,” he said. “So he’s using this madness for political gain — a typical politician.” Additional reporting by Chris Perez