Yesterday, on July 28th, a large number of Chinese individuals gathered at Foley Square in Manhattan and then proceeded on a march from the Brooklyn Bridge to Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn to express strong opposition to the city’s forced construction of a homeless shelter.
Residents of Brooklyn are against the construction of a homeless shelter on 86th Street, and the Chinatown community has also joined in protest. Yu Jinshan, head of the New York Eastern Chinese Association and Democratic leader of the 65th district, led over 70 members and hundreds of Chinatown residents in this demonstration, urging the city government to be fair and just, and opposing the excessive construction of homeless shelters in the Chinese community.
Yu Jinshan stated that protesters from Brooklyn, Flushing, and Chinatown have shown the unity and determination of the Chinese community in opposing the homeless shelter issue. Protesters held American flags, expressing their determination to protect their community and homeland, and hoping that the city government will listen to the demands of New York City residents and treat the Chinese community fairly. After the protest activity at City Hall Park, they continued their demonstration in front of the homeless shelter at 91 East Broadway in Chinatown.
Brooklyn Council Member Bensonhurst, Vicky Chuang, did not participate in organizing this march due to being previously embroiled in a lawsuit from previous protest activities, but she expressed gratitude for the community support on social media. Chuang stated that through these protest activities, the voice of the Asian community has become widely known.
She mentioned that Asians make up 18% of the total population in New York, and in Brooklyn, the Chinese population accounts for 10%. She once again urged the government to pay more attention to and treat the Asian community fairly, and encouraged members of the Chinese community to register to vote and participate in elections to ensure their voices are heard. Chuang said that regarding the forced construction of a homeless shelter on 86th Street in Bensonhurst, the Mayor and his office have started communicating with the community, and the process is currently ongoing.