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Pedro Espada Photobombed by Protesters at Press Conference
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 17, 2010
Modified Feb 17, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 17, 2010
Modified Feb 17, 2010
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All State Senator Pedro Espada wanted to do today was announce his proposal to finance a rent freeze on some rent-regulated apartments by helping landlords get out of rent regulation. But as you can see, some protesters had to come along and steal his thunder! Activists from the Tenants & Neighbors group and other critics say Espada's proposal is actually more of a sweetheart deal for property owners than for tenants. One protester managed to get behind Espada at City Hall, holding this sign as TV cameras were rolling, and WNYC describes what happened next:
As soon as Espada's staffers caught on, they launched into an impromptu ballet, using anything at their disposal to obscure the young woman's protest sign from the cameras -- all without disrupting Espada. But it didn't work. Like a political version of "whack-a-mole," no sooner had they successfully blocked one sign than others popped up in the mostly pro-Espada crowd.
She's lucky Espada's goons didn't "teach" her "some manners," as they've been known to do when opponents start asking questions.
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City hall
demonstration
pedro espada
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protest
rent freeze
rent regulation
sign
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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