Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Syracuse Protesters Gather to Speak Out Against Trump's 'Fake Emergency'

Scott Willis/WAER News

About 100 protesters used the occasion of President’s Day to gather in front of the federal building in Syracuse to speak out against the sitting President.

They had a message for President Trump in response to his emergency declaration over a border wall, chanting "no wall," and "fake emergency."

One of the protesters was Central New York Area Labor Federation Vice President Kenneth Greenleaf, who implored the crowd to think of the nation's "real emergencies."

"There are real emergencies. This is not a real emergency. Please, people, don't be silent. Stand up. What about the Michigan water problem? What about the infrastructure right here in the city? What about Puerto Rico?"

The Labor Federation's President, Ann Marie Taliercio, was also on hand. She said a wall on the border with Mexico would be an attack on working class individuals.

"This wall is just a manufactured disaster, right? It's meant to actually hurt the workers who are coming to this country to help us move forward and grow. It's just one more attack on working men and women."

Trump's emergency declaration would likely see funds diverted from military spending in order to fund the border wall. That doesn't sit well with Navy veteran and leader of Veterans Organize CNY Roger Misso.

"Where is the money coming from to pay for this fake national emergency. It is coming from the military construction and Veteran's Affairs budget. That's stealing from military families. It's stealing from veterans and it's stealing from people who actually need it."

Other protesters also called attention to emergencies like poverty and gun violence.  Congress allocated nearly $1.4 billion to the border wall in last week’s budget agreement, but Trump had asked for $5.7 billion.

Credit Scott Willis/WAER News
Rebecca Fuentes of the CNY Workers' Center told the crowd that immigrants and refugees are being criminalized. In addition to the border wall, protesters called attention to emergencies like poverty, gun violence and crises in Puerto Rico and Michigan.