'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
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."
Between the many speakers, protesters chanted, "We need money for education, not for banks and corporations."
Protesters later entered the hall where the hearing was being held and could be heard chanting during the question-and-answer session.
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