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Hundreds Protest Mother Teresa Tribute-Less ESB
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 27, 2010
Modified Aug 27, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 27, 2010
Modified Aug 27, 2010
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Mother Teresa may have died nearly 13 years ago, but her legacy lives on, even if the Empire State Building wouldn't shine its lights in blue and white for her last night. But hundreds of protesters still think the iconic building's owner, Anthony Malkin, was wrong to dismiss the request. The Catholic League's William Donohue, who raised a ruckus about this "slight" in June, said, "Why not Mother Teresa? If [she] doesn't make the cut, nobody [does]," and referring to the ESB's claim that religious figures aren't honored that way, "They've done it in the past for religious figures. They did it for the Salesian Sisters last year, they've done it for Pope John Paul II, they've done it for Cardinal O'Connor. That's a lie."
Donohue also said of Malkin, "Is he that stupid that now he's known as the anti-Mother Teresa elite in New York City?" Other commenters from those gathered: "This is going to turn out bigger than it would have been if he'd lit the building. Whether he lights the building or not, she (Mother Teresa) won. We're all here." (CNN); "I woke up this morning, and there was blue and white skies, so it didn't matter. She had her own lights right up there." (AP); and "People assume she is synonymous with the greatest human that ever lived. Billions of dollars she raised is unaccounted for -- she took money from many awful regimes in Central America" (NY1, from one person who didn't think the nun should be honored).
The ESB was red, white and blue in honor of the 90th anniversary of the women's suffragette movement.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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