Marchers on the streets of New York City Nov. 7 called for accountability and affordability following the blue wave that swept through the nation on Tuesday. Democrats now have control of both the House and Senate in a stunning rebuke of Donald Trump and his administration. The question remains: What will Democrats do with that victory? Photos/Steve Wishnia
By Steve Wishnia
“We won, but now we need to get to work,” Aidan Wise, 22, told Work-Bites as the Nov. 7 March for Our Democracy neared its end, heading south on Seventh Avenue toward 14th Street.
That could have been the theme of the day. American voters had dramatically washed away the Republican majority in Congress five days earlier, but Donald Trump is still in the White House, and the day before, he had promoted Stephen Miller—devoted to purging ‘undesirable’ ethnic groups from the United States, unchecked executive power, and the belief that anyone opposed wants to destroy America—to be his chief of staff.
Wise said Democrats should work for “accountability for crimes committed during, before, and after the Trump administration. We need to try even if we don’t get it during his term. It’s our responsibility.”
“We have a fascist in the White House,” said his companion, Kasey R., also 22.
Abolishing ICE was high on the agenda of marchers hitting the streets this weekend.
Accountability and affordability were perhaps the two main issues people talked about, with anti-immigrant abuses and oligarchical corruption overlapping with both. “I want to stop ICE attacks in my Hispanic community,” said Jenny Hernandez of the Bronx, a 32BJ SEIU member for 21 years who was active in get-out-the-vote efforts. “All communities deserve dignity and respect.”
She added that now is the worst economy she’s seen in the 30 years since she immigrated from the Dominican Republic. “Some people sit at the table and say, ‘I buy the food—or I buy the medicine, or I buy the gas,’” she said. Trump “is a billionaire. He doesn’t see the working people and the poor people.”
Creating a pathway to citizenship has long been a priority for 32BJ, which counts thousands of immigrants among its members, said Amy Sugimori, the union’s head of research and policy.
“People who have raised families, built our communities, and have no way to become citizens.”
“A lot of people have work authorization, but no path to citizenship,” she explained. “People who have raised families, built our communities, and have no way to become citizens.” That means that even if they’ve lived here for decades, they have no security in situations such as the Trump administration’s revocation of Temporary Protected Status [TPS] for Haitians, Somalis, and others, and its attempts to eliminate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections.
“We can see the possibility,” Sugimori said, but “that requires Congress to act. We need Congress to act.”
The crowd was significantly smaller than previous years’ No Kings demonstrations, stretching for about five or six blocks as it marched downtown from Times Square. It included the No Kings archetype of people old enough to have debated whether to vote for Democratic centrist Al Gore or Green Party candidate Ralph Nader for President in 2000; a large Democratic Socialists of America contingent, chanting “Tax the—Rich! Abolish—ICE!”; several smaller left-of-DSA groups; and union members from 32BJ, the CUNY Professional Staff Congress, Laborers Local 79, and the New York State Nurses Association [NYSNA].
NYC-DSA members press victorious Democrats to take on the billionaire class.
“Cleanup on Aisle 47!” a woman wearing a black shawl with a jeweled peace symbol and silver-sequined sneakers called out through a small bullhorn. “Give it up for peace!” As the march crossed 42nd Street, Times Square tourist attraction the Naked Cowboy, carrying his white guitar, tried to wend his way through the crowd. Some people, impatient with the Democratic leadership in Congress, carried signs in which the phrase “Chuck Schumer” contained a verb, not a nickname.
“We’ve had a lot of ICE presence in our area,” said Marianne Downes of Northeast Queens Indivisible. “That’s what we want Democrats to fight against immediately. End Citizens United and fund health care, and get ICE out of our cities. And Supreme Court reform. It’s the only court that doesn’t have an ethics code.”
Plus solidarity with Ukraine, she added. She has Ukrainian ancestry.
“I want to see every vote counted and a rollback of all voter suppression. Then, accountability for crimes, and take action on affordability,” said Kenn Vance, the PSC chapter chair at CUNY’s John Jay College. His affordability agenda would include medical costs, getting private equity out of housing, and—delivered with a this-should-be-obvious smile—“affordable education for all.”
“I would love to see the people keep coming together and not be divided as we fight the billionaire class,” said Matthew, 51, who came with a group from Chelsea Neighbors United. He was wearing a “Fuera—ICE Out” button and carrying a “Socialism Beats Fascism” sign.
What would he want to see accomplished? End the wars. Enact Medicare for All. Abolish ICE. Overturn Citizens United and get money out of political campaigns.
And, “I’d like to see some of these criminals in office held accountable for their corruption.”