Hundreds of people from various ethnic backgrounds gathered in front of the Flushing Library on November 16 to protest against the construction of the “Metropolitan Park” casino next to the Citi Field parking lot in Flushing, New York. Despite the project receiving approval from the Community Advisory Committee, opponents continue to voice their opposition.
Participants in the demonstration included residents of Flushing and Corona, the New York Muslim Center, Flushing Workers’ Center, and members of the “Fed Up Alliance,” with a significant number of young people joining in. The rally was conducted in English, Chinese, and Spanish, with chants of “Flushing rejects the casino, Flushing rejects being sold out.” The criticism was directed at State Senator Liu Chunyi for proposing the change in land use to allow for the construction of the casino.
A young Chinese male emcee of the rally pointed out in English that building a massive casino in residential areas like Flushing and Corona would cause significant harm to the community. He highlighted that despite developers claiming majority support from residents, a street survey revealed that the vast majority of residents were unaware of the casino project in their neighborhood. He also mentioned that without Liu Chunyi’s proposal in April to change the land use, the casino plan could have been stillborn, accusing Liu Chunyi of betraying the community.
Nurse Qiu Baojin, who has lived in Flushing for over 30 years, shared her personal story at the rally, detailing how her husband and three sons became addicted to gambling, leading to divorce and family breakdown. She emphasized that casinos not only destroy families but also “suck the blood of the common people,” causing an increase in theft and robbery and negatively impacting adolescent students.
Pastor Dave Smith of the Queens Christian Alliance Church stated that building a casino in Flushing targets the most vulnerable population—the Asian community itself faces issues with gambling addiction. He witnessed many families being deeply hurt by gambling members and stressed that building a casino in Flushing is putting the community at stake; therefore, the community must stand together against it.
Resident Jack Hu urged Governor Hochu and the Gaming Commission to uphold justice and not issue a casino license to Steve Cohen, expressing the need for the governor to prioritize ordinary citizens like themselves despite the political system being eroded by billionaires and corporate influences.
At the end of the rally, community members signed a large poster directed at Liu Chunyi, Governor Hochu, and the Gaming Commission, urging them not to build a casino in Corona. The poster will be submitted to the Gaming Facilities Location Board.
On December 1, the New York State Gaming Siting Board will recommend up to three casino projects to the New York State Gaming Commission. By December 31, the Gaming Commission will vote to decide the final projects to be awarded the casino license. The “Metropolitan Park” casino project is one of the three projects approved by the Community Advisory Committee. While most of the land belongs in State Senator Jesica Ramos’s district, Ramos disagrees with the proposal to change the land use for the casino. A small portion of the project’s land falls within State Senator Liu Chunyi’s district, who changed his opposition to the casino by proposing the land use change in April.
Spokesperson Karl Rickett for the “Metropolitan Park” project responded to the protest rally by stating that the project has received approval from all six community boards, the City Council, the state legislature, and the entire Community Advisory Committee, demonstrating widespread community support for Metropolitan Park. He pledged to realize the community-oriented vision by creating 23,000 union jobs, 25 acres of public park space, and over $1 billion in community benefits.