Protesters marched from Times Square to Trump International Hotel at 1 Central Park West on Wednesday evening in response to the siege on the nation’s capital.
Refuse Fascism, a political activist organization took to the streets on hundreds of occasions throughout 2020 in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, while also calling for the removal of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence from office. This group has now rallied in 2021, taking a stand in Times Square in order to voice their disdain for the thousands of Trump supporters who launched an assault on the Senate building in Washington D.C that same afternoon.
The dust literally had not settled on 2020 in Times Square as confetti from the New Year’s Eve party could still be seen blowing hither and thither. Less than one week into 2021, protesters were back on the street at 5 pm. The group brandished a large banner reading, “Trump/Pence out now” as speakers expressed their shock from the day’s events.
“We are here today because what everyone has seen unfolding on TV is an attempted coup happening in America where they stormed the capital and actually succeeded. Anybody with a conscience, with a sense of right or wrong needs to be on the streets right now,” Emma Kaplan of Refuse Fascism told amNewYork Metro.
Kaplan also says that she believes that some fellow protesters have become complacent, stating that in order to make meaningful change, people need to unite akin to previous protests in 2020. It is with this in mind that Refuse Fascism is calling for daily protests at 5pm in Times Square until Biden is inaugurated on January 20th.
“You saw the confederate flag in front of the capitol for the first time in 100 years. All the people who don’t want to live in white supremacy, who have been out on the streets need to get back out in the streets and fight for the future we want and not run and hide and cower in their houses, hoping that somebody else is going to take care of it. It’s time to act ourselves,” Kaplan said, becoming emotional.
The crowd took to streets, stopping traffic marching up Broadway before heading to Columbus Circle. The group of about 60 individuals were flanked on both sides by NYPD bike patrols who kept keen eyes on the proceedings. The protesters quickly gained the addition of passersby with chants such as “Kick Trump out of the White House!” and “No KKK, no fascism U.S.A!”
At just past 6:30pm, marchers arrived at Trump International Hotel where they met with fellow protesters who had already gathered at the building, flaunting signs reading “Stop the GOP coup” and individuals each holding a letter that when standing together read “Trump is guilty.” The growing group spent several hours chanting and calling for the removal of a president who is expected to leave office in less than two weeks. However, after January 6th’s spectacle, protesters say they are not taking any chances.
