For the past ten days starting from July 17th, the protest in front of the proposed location for a homeless shelter on 86th Street in Brooklyn has been ongoing. This daily protest has garnered wide participation from local community residents. Chen Lina, the president of the Chinese Health Association, stated that the actions of the protesters have highlighted the community’s concerns about local development. The protest is not only against the siting of the homeless shelter but also a public dialogue about community safety, the environment, and the future.
The continuous protest for the full ten days demonstrates residents’ strong dissatisfaction with the city government’s decision-making. Chen Lina emphasized that the residents will persist in protesting until the mayor engages in dialogue with the community and presents satisfactory solutions. She pointed out that community centers for the elderly, schools, and families are extremely worried about the potential establishment of a homeless shelter, especially considering that some homeless individuals may have mental health issues, raising concerns that they may unpredictably act out and harm others. This unpredictability is the residents’ greatest fear.
Chen Lina further explained that the protest has attracted participation from people of all ages in the community, from elderly individuals in the mornings to young families in the evenings, all coming together to express their concerns about the community’s future. Businesses and residents have voluntarily provided support, with supermarkets, bakeries, and doctors generously donating items such as bottled water, boxed meals, fruits, iced tea, and lemonade, as well as participating in voter registration. These actions not only reflect the unity of the community but also demonstrate the importance people place on the right to vote.
Chen Lina extended special thanks to City Councilor Zhuang Wenyi, State Assemblyman William Colton, Zheng Yongjia, and District 17 candidate Chen Xueli for their support, stating that they have “been with us every day to voice our concerns.” She stated that while the mayor may consider relocating the site, the question remains: where should it be relocated to? Only by involving taxpayers and serving society can the country achieve healthy development and prosperity, and the reason for all this is the government’s radical policies that have “gone too far,” causing panic and discontent in the community, so the community is determined to engage in long-term resistance. The increase in voter registration indicates a growing awareness of voting rights among community members, marking a significant advancement in community consciousness.
She said that they usually protest until 9 p.m. each night, sometimes with thousands of people participating overnight and the streets lined with people. They also conduct voter registration on-site, with “hundreds of people registering as voters daily, yielding significant results. Through this incident, everyone has developed a greater awareness of voting and realized that not voting is not an option; this is another step forward for the community,” said Chen Lina.