Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Photos: Hundreds Gather In Washington Square Park For General Strike Defending Workers' Rights
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 18, 2017
Modified Feb 18, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Scott Heins / Gothamist
View all 16
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 18, 2017
Modified Feb 18, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered in Washington Square Park on Friday afternoon as part of a nationwide general strike in opposition to the Trump administration. The rally, one of hundreds of strike events taking place across the country, was meant to show solidarity with other workers, while also providing a forum for New Yorkers to begin organizing against Trump’s anti-labor policies, according to organizers.
At 1:00 p.m., protesters convened at the Garibaldi statue on the eastern side of the park, and quickly began chants of “No ban/no wall” and “All nations/every race/punch a Nazi in the face.” American flags and socialist red flags waved side-by-side, along with signs expressing support for immigrants, women, and the working class.
Some in the crowd had taken off from work or school for the occasion, like Emilio Rodriguez, 46, an attorney from Westchester. “I told [the practice] yesterday that I was coming to the rally and I wasn't going to be going in,” said Rodriguez, adding that he’d never before attended a protest, but was galvanized by his wife’s participation in the Women’s March. “The president is trying to overexert the power of the executive branch, and as an attorney I really believe in defending the constitution, the independent judiciary.”
Others in attendance were not on strike themselves, but said they were there to represent those unable to take off work. “We're in a state where a lot of people cannot afford to [strike], which is great for capitalism,” said Dana Francisco, 30, a freelancer from Brooklyn and member of the Freedom Socialist Party. Francisco spoke about the importance of connecting workers' rights with the struggles of other marginalized groups. “I think that anti-capitalist ideologies are starting to grow, and I think as that grows, people really start to see the umbrella it's above nicks off a lot of other issues.”
At 1:35 p.m., organizer Andrew Thornebrooke delivered a speech outlining the importance of building a network of activists that could quickly activate for planned actions in the future. In addition to yesterday’s Day Without Immigrants labor protest, another nationwide strike will take place on March 8th, this one coordinated by the organizers of the Women’s March. Though a planned speaking program was scheduled to take place after Thornebrooke’s speech, that did not happen, and those in attendance soon returned to their anti-Trump chanting.
Barry Denny, a 75-year-old poet from Stuy-Town, said that Friday’s strike seemed a bit premature, noting that the action was a far cry from the five-week labor stoppage he participated in while working for the New York State Welfare Commission in the 1950s. Denny also said that it was clear to him that labor rights were threatened under a Trump administration, particularly in the face of the “very sad deterioration of unions.”
“But I also see virtually every issue at a greater risk under the Trump administration,” Denny added. “I actually see the possibility of, not a classic fascist state, but an authoritarian state. I think it's a real possibility, and that's partly why I'm here.”
With Scott Heins
Tagged
general strike
washington square park
workers' rights
original
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 8:26 a.m. ET
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
News
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Need help with mental health or addiction services? NYC has a new tool.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYC sues personal injury law firm accused of bogus trip-and-fall claims
By
Walter Wuthmann
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .