Showing posts with label election 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label election 2016. Show all posts

Monday, December 12, 2016

#notourpresident storefront not coming to 2nd Avenue


[Reader photo from Nov. 18]

As we first noted on Nov. 19, coming soon signage arrived for #notourpresident on an empty storefront (No. 64) on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Third Street.

The #notourpresident sparked some speculation, especially when there was a cafe sign in view as well. (Maybe this would be another attempt at satire like the dearly departed 'Merica on Sixth Street.)

In any event, the signage is gone, and the for rent banner is back in view ...



The asking rent here is $13,000, per the listing.

The space previously housed NYC Velo, who moved next door in March.

Velo was curious too about what might coming next door...

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Report: Mike Pence supporter arrested for alleged racist tirade, pepper-spray attack at 14th Street diner



Two women, who are Chinese-American, were eating early Sunday morning at the Lower East Side Coffee Shop on 14th Street near Avenue A. One of the women, Sally Wen Mao, a Brooklyn-based poet, shared details of the ugly scene that transpired at the diner via Twitter and Facebook on Sunday. (Several EVG readers shared her Facebook post with us.)

Sadly, I am not surprised about what happened — it was only a matter of time before I would experience this shit personally.

Last night around 2AM I was eating in a 14th Street diner, Lower East Side Coffee Shop, with a friend. Just as we were eating, a loud angry man came in, sat in the booth behind ours, and started complaining about Hamilton, how disgusting and "racist" they were to Pence.

Right behind me, he started rambling loudly, complaining about "so-called minorities." It was really hard to be physically near and intolerable to hear that kind of racist bile, so at some point, I said lower your voice, we are just trying to eat. Then we switched seats to the corner.

Inevitably the Trump supporter got aggressive and told us to go back to Tokyo (!), then called us c**** and whores. At which point I wasn't having it with his racism and misogyny — I splashed my water across his face.
He escalated, called the police and said he would have me arrested all the while calling us derogatory slurs. The guy who was working at the diner (presumably the owner) said and did nothing as we couldn't believe the venom we were getting from this angry dangerous man.

The Trump supporter then blockaded the door to prevent us from leaving the diner, trapping us inside for over an hour. We were physically afraid to go near the door for fear of what he would do to us. He was describing me to the police on his phone, saying that he was for sure pressing charges, sickeningly staring at me and making comments about my appearance. We sat with other women who witnessed the whole thing and were horrified (they showed solidarity to us and said that they would support us if the police asked for the story). More racist sexist shit poured out of him, "c*** whores," he wasn't very creative. So I splashed another glass of water on his face.

The police arrived, asking what happened. They took down my ID, said splashing water is not something they can arrest me for. The sad thing is this white man believed so much in the racism of his fellow white man and the system — a system that has already been broken, and he understands this system benefits him without being informed of what he can or cannot charge someone for. He was trying to engage with other white men and the police officers in a "us" versus "them" way. And sadly, playing the role of demure harmless Asian woman worked in getting the cops to dismiss it, and I recognize my privilege. Eventually after over an hour, the cops had to palliate him, he grew more and more angry over why they weren't arresting me, ranting about "men's rights."

UPDATED: A woman who was there with me and witnessed the whole thing told me that after my friend and I left, there was an incident. A Latino man came in with two of his friends as we were waiting for the police to hand us back my ID and sat in the booth we sat in. As we were exiting, he asked us if we were okay, and I told him a very, very brief version of the story ...

What happened next was also extremely upsetting. The woman told me that the man who asked us if we were okay, told the Trump supporter that he would not tolerate racism. Then the Trump guy took out pepper spray and sprayed it directly into the man's face. That man had to go to the emergency room. At that point, the woman was definitely trying to leave, and the Trump supporter pushed her, and the pepper spray got into one of her friend's eyes too.
The Trump supporter was arrested as the police saw what happened.

But a person who demonstrated empathy, who stood up against racism and said he would not tolerate it, had to go to the emergency room. That person was hurt. We are not safe.

Gothamist has an account of the incident here. The woman at the diner who witnessed what happened is a Mic News reporter, and she shared her version of the events here.

Gothamist also has more details about the man's arrest:

Police arrested Frank Camino, 56, at 2:52 a.m. on Sunday. He's since been charged with assault in the second degree and possession of a weapon, specifically pepper spray. According to a criminal complaint, Camino sprayed a man in the face and eyes with a can of pepper spray, causing swelling, redness and pain.

A spokesman for the NYPD confirmed that Camino was also the man who called 911 to report being splashed with water. Prosecutors and police did not provide details on the arguments that promoted both interactions. Camino's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment; Camino himself could not be reached.

As for why the diner's staff didn't come to assist the women, a manager there told Gothamist that he "had no idea."

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Noted



Several readers have noted this new coming soon signage for #notourpresident on an empty storefront (No. 64) on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Third Street.

The space previously housed NYC Velo, who moved next door in March.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

At the start of the March Against Trump in Union Square today



Another day, another Donald Trump protest. Several thousand people gathered in Union Square earlier today for a "Trump is NOT my president" march from Union Square to the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. (The Facebook invite listed 16,000 people as attending.)

Per amNewYork:

David Bruce, of Manhattan, said demonstrating was less about challenging Trump than showing support to women, the LGBT community and people of color.

“It’s about love, it’s not about trashing Donald Trump,” Bruce, a 35-year-old film critic, said. “Donald Trump is preaching pure evil, he is preaching hate."

Organizers of the demonstration called it a peaceful protest. "Divided is the reason we just fell. We must unite despite our differences to stop HATE from ruling the land," the Facebook event said.

EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos...





















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And via Derek Berg...







Tuesday, November 8, 2016

I voted


[Photo by @chwhat]

Among the East Village residents voting today at the Theater for the New City on First Avenue — 105-year-old Tekla Husiak. Photographer Christina Holmes (find more of her work here) said that Husiak was out to cast her vote for Hillary Clinton.

Election Day tip



There are reports of long lines to vote this morning... such as seen in the reader-submitted photo here at Theater for the New City on First Avenue, where the line stretches back and around the corner on Ninth Street.

EVG reader Mel shared this:

The long lines at polling places are queues of folks who need to look up their Assembly and District numbers in order to sign in to vote.

To shorten the process, look up your Assembly and District numbers before heading to the polls here.

I knew my numbers, so it took me 7 minutes, start to finish, to vote.

Polls in New York State are open until 9 tonight.

Updated 10:30

EVG reader Terry Howell just voted at the Theater for the New City... he noted the long lines as well and added, "But if you know your Election District and/or Assembly District number, find a poll worker. They are canvassing the line frequently, and tell them you know your voting districts. They will take you inside and direct you to your table where the line is minimal.

The poll workers are very organized, friendly and helpful. TFNC being cramped as always and the crowd being large, they are doing an excellent job at keeping it moving. Let them guide you. The voters crowd is in a pleasant mood — happy to have it finally done!

A photo this morning from Manhattan School For Career Development on Fourth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue via Derek Berg...

Election Day, and Night


[On the plywood on 2nd Street at Avenue C]

As you may have heard, today is Election Day.

DNAinfo put together a voter's guide featuring a list of the local candidates and races on the ballot. You can find that here.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Go here to find your polling location. (Curbed assembled a few other helpful things to know about Election Day here.)

Grub Street listed a few bars (not East Village specific) around the city to watch the election results. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to call around and ask about Election Day specials at bars here. (One I know of: Iggy's Keltic Lounge on Ludlow between Stanton and Rivington is having an Election Evening party with some free food. Tips from the evening are going to First Descents, an organization that works with young adults impacted by cancer.)

Also, here's another way to spend part of the day...

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

We can now project that the polls have closed


[Voting at the Theater for the New City via Grant Shaffer]

It's just after 9, and the polls are now closed on this primary day.

Readers reported mostly problem-free trips to the polling places.

So while we hand count the votes, here are a few random primary-related photos ...


[Bernie at the Bean via Nicolina]








[Photo via @milanos_bar_nyc]