Volume 79, Number 14 | September 9 - 15, 2009
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933
Edita Birnkrant explained the protest to West Village residents Jeff Wamble and his daughter Olivia, 4, outside 61 Jane St.
Quinn opponents protest outside event at Jane St.
By Jefferson Siegel
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, whose district includes the West Village and Chelsea, was the target of a protest last Wednesday night when she arrived for a meet-and-greet at a Jane St. gathering.
The protest drew 15 people to the corner of Jane and Hudson Sts., near the entrance to 61 Jane St., bearing signs reading, “Chris Quinn Is in the Mayor’s Pocket” and “Donations or Kickbacks?” Participants were incensed over Quinn’s role in helping extend term limits.
“When term limits were overturned with Christine Quinn’s compliance, I was deeply offended by it,” said Rosemary Kuropat, a 25-year Hudson Square resident. Kuropat held a large sign reading, “Quinn Dumps on Hudson Square,” a reference to the city’s plan to build a three-district Department of Sanitation garage at the west end of Spring St.
Donny Moss was one of the protest’s organizers.
“She’s blocked every animal-protection bill introduced at City Hall since she’s become speaker,” Moss said.
In the 2009 “Humane Scorecard” compiled by the New York League of Humane Voters, Quinn ranked among the bottom five councilmembers in voting for or sponsorship of legislation to help animals.
When Quinn arrived at 7:30 she was greeted with chants of “No third term!” as she walked into the lobby.
After Quinn went inside, the protesters marched north on Hudson St. past the Hotel Gansevoort, then continued up Eighth Ave. to 23rd St. while chanting, “Christine Quinn has got to go!”
