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'Amazon does not have our best interests at heart': Protesters swarmed City Hall as New York's city council held its first hearing about Amazon's HQ2 deal
'Amazon does not have our best interests at heart': Protesters swarmed City Hall as New York's city council held its first hearing about Amazon's HQ2 deal
Jessica TylerDec 13, 2018, 00:25 IST
Business Insider/Jessica Tyler
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Protesters swarmed City Hall as New York's city council held its first in a series of hearings about Amazon's HQ2 deal on Wednesday morning.
Amazon announced on November 13 that it would split its second headquarters between the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens and a region of Northern Virginia that Amazon has named National Landing.
Many New Yorkers were furious about the deal and gathered outside City Hall, with some eventually heading inside as the hearing got underway.
Protesters swarmed City Hall as New York's city council held its first in a series of hearings about Amazon's HQ2 deal on Wednesday.
As the hearing was set to begin, many angry New Yorkers gathered on the steps of City Hall, chanting "G-T-F-O Amazon has got to go" and "We need money for education, not for banks and corporations."
Between chants, speakers shared stories on behalf of Amazon workers who they said had reached out to them prior to the protest. Others expressed their own fears about what HQ2 means for New Yorkers and communities in Queens.
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There were protesters from a number of organizations, including the New York City Democratic Socialists; New York Communities for Change; the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; and the Long Island City Coalition. Individual speakers included assembly member Latrice Walker and city council member Jumaane Williams.
Miguel Adams, a representative of VOCAL NY, which assists formerly incarcerated New Yorkers, said he fears Amazon will continue to gentrify New York and displace working-class families.
"We have been bamboozled by Mayor De Blasio and Governor Cuomo. We must hold Amazon accountable, but we must hold these two accountable too," he said.
On Wednesday, New York's city council held its first in a series of hearings about Amazon's HQ2 deal. The council invited both New York City's Economic Development Corporation and representatives for Amazon to answer questions from members and the public.
On the way to City Hall, there were "Amazon Crime" stickers on nearly every lamppost.
It was cold, but there were dozens of protesters outside. The crowd was chanting, "G-T-F-O Amazon has got to go."
There were protesters from a number of organizations, including the New York City Democratic Socialists; New York Communities for Change; the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; the Long Island City Coalition, and others.
There was also a large group of CUNY Students with signs reading, "CUNY not HQ2."
Other signs read, "Stop Amazon" and "Amazon: Respect workers! Respect communities!"
The protesters all had the same message: New Yorkers do not want Amazon. Repeatedly, protesters chanted "Whose city? Our city. Whose Queens? Our Queens."
Assembly member Latrice Walker, a speaker at the protest, said, "I have a simple message. When people show you who they are the first time, believe them."
She continued: "When Amazon showed you that they don't care about the safety of their workers and the safety of their workplaces, believe them." Walker encouraged everyone in attendance to cancel their Prime subscriptions and stop supporting a company that she said uses "improper business practices."
Many protesters went on to tell stories on behalf of Amazon workers who they said had reached out to them prior to the protest.
One speaker shared the story of an Amazon Flex driver who, due to his long, unpredictable hours and low pay, was forced to drop out of school and work as many as 14 hours a day so he could afford his home.
Other speakers were young Long Island City residents.
Protesters repeatedly expressed fear for their community, criticizing the company as "anti-diversity and anti-sustainability."
City council member Jumaane Williams called out Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo specifically, asking "Why are you giving away this money? Why can't we give a billion dollars to small businesses that create jobs?"
"This is not a done deal," Williams said. "We will shut things down if we need to."
There was an uproar of applause after Williams spoke, with protesters shouting out things like "hit the streets" and "shut it down."
Miguel Adams, a representative of VOCAL NY, which assists formerly incarcerated New Yorkers, expressed fears that Amazon will continue to gentrify NYC and displace working-class families.
"We have been bamboozled by Mayor De Blasio and Governor Cuomo. We must hold Amazon accountable, but we must hold these two accountable too," he said.
Many protesters also spoke of Amazon Web Services' reported ties to ICE, fearing for the many immigrant communities in Queens.
One speaker said, "Amazon Web Services is the backbone of ICE. ICE is targeting Queens communities brutally ... Amazon does not have our best interests at heart."
