NEW YORK (WBEN) – Protesters gathered in Greenwich Village in New York City on Saturday to slam Gov. Andrew Cuomo over a range of issues, including allegations of sexual misconduct, and to call for him to be impeached.
Among those at the Washington Square Park rally was Lindsey Boylan, a Manhattan borough president candidate and former Cuomo aide who was the first woman to publicly accuse the governor of sexual harassment.
“Abuse does not confine itself to one person or one area. Someone who abuses their power doesn’t just do it to one woman or one community, they do it on some level to every person in every community,” Boylan said at the rally.
The state Assembly has opened up an impeachment investigation into the allegations against Cuomo. Boylan has been critical of the investigation and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who authorized the probe.
“Speaker Heastie wields his power to protect the governor and uphold a system that dismisses and abuses us,” Boylan said. “New Yorkers deserve a transparent and honest impeachment process, not a sham investigation led by people with ties to Gov. Cuomo.”
At Saturday’s rally, protesters chanted “impeach Cuomo,” “we believe survivors” and “tax the rich.” They also marched from the park to Heastie’s office.
A coalition called VOCAL-NY criticized the governor for his handling of a multitude of issues, from homelessness and the state budget to nursing home deaths and a lack of money for undocumented immigrants. They said the harassment allegations were just an example of Cuomo’s many failed policies.
Other speakers at the rally included state Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Ron Kim, who just weeks ago made headlines when he said Cuomo threatened to “destroy” him after he criticized the governor over COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes.