Friday Jan 31, 2020
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Commuters might be in for a rougher ride home than usual on Friday afternoon if they use public transit in New York City due to protests.
A group called Decolonize This Place has called for a fare strike on MTA subways and buses and protests on those transit systems Friday afternoon that could also affect PATH.
The group protested at 5 p.m. at Grand Central Terminal, which draw large crowds. That led Suburban Transit to issue an alert to commuters riding its Crosstown buses that there may be heavier traffic due to delays from a demonstration on 42nd Street.
As of 6:20 p.m., the protest was moving west on 42nd Street toward Times Square, causing rolling street closures, and some protests were happening at penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, WCBS Newsradio 880 reported. Meanwhile MTA officials denounced vandalism to turnstiles and fare equipment.
A giant gathering at Grand Central right now demanding free transit in NYC, and cops out of our subways.
Police just arrested one man for unknown reasons and the crowd surged forward, chanting:
“THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!” pic.twitter.com/H13UYHUdcH— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 31, 2020
The protests were sparked by the MTA’s ramped up fight against fare evasion and New York Gov. Mario Cuomo’s decision to hire 500 additional police officers at a cost of $250 million which protest organizers said on social media targets the poor and people of color. Those officers were deployed on Friday.
Organizers of the protest did not respond to an email seeking comment. The group also favors free transit fares.
Demonstrators unfurled a giant banner calling for a fare strike and hung it from an upper level of the World Trade Center transit hub Friday morning.
The group also called for a protest at 5 p.m. at Grand Central Terminal.
How this will affect commuters’ trips home is unclear. Actions posted on Twitter show emergency exits being zip-tied open in some subway stations, some riders “swiping it forward” and graffiti.
Now || We are receiving reports “Chained open + superglue in the swipes” on #J31 #FTP3 pic.twitter.com/qneyxY5XFJ— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
One Twitter user posted a notice from an employer sending workers home two-hours early so they could avoid any transit trouble from the protests.
We have eyes and ears. This is a movement and our demands are clear.👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/WPWicefpmQ— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
The group has called for non-violent protests. Including fare evasion, “swipe it forward” where riders pay for another riders fare with a Metrocard and other acts of non-violent protest.
Other actions reported on Twitter included putting glue on OMNY fare readers on some turnstiles and putting superglue in MetroCard swipe readers. Those actions were denounced by MTA officials.
“This demonstration activity follows the dangerous pattern of previous activities that have resulted in vandalization and defacement of MTA property – clearly violating laws," said Patrick Warren, MTA Chief Safety Officer. “Those actions divert valuable time, money and resources away from investments in transit services that get New Yorkers to their jobs, schools, doctors and other places they need to go.”
The MTA is monitoring conditions and cooperating with the NYPD and MTA PD to maintain service while ensuring everyone’s safety, he said.
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Commuters might be in for a rougher ride home than usual on Friday afternoon if they use public transit in New York City due to protests.
A group called Decolonize This Place has called for a fare strike on MTA subways and buses and protests on those transit systems Friday afternoon that could also affect PATH.
The group protested at 5 p.m. at Grand Central Terminal, which draw large crowds. That led Suburban Transit to issue an alert to commuters riding its Crosstown buses that there may be heavier traffic due to delays from a demonstration on 42nd Street.
As of 6:20 p.m., the protest was moving west on 42nd Street toward Times Square, causing rolling street closures, and some protests were happening at penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, WCBS Newsradio 880 reported. Meanwhile MTA officials denounced vandalism to turnstiles and fare equipment.
A giant gathering at Grand Central right now demanding free transit in NYC, and cops out of our subways.
Police just arrested one man for unknown reasons and the crowd surged forward, chanting:
“THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!” pic.twitter.com/H13UYHUdcH— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 31, 2020
The protests were sparked by the MTA’s ramped up fight against fare evasion and New York Gov. Mario Cuomo’s decision to hire 500 additional police officers at a cost of $250 million which protest organizers said on social media targets the poor and people of color. Those officers were deployed on Friday.
Organizers of the protest did not respond to an email seeking comment. The group also favors free transit fares.
Demonstrators unfurled a giant banner calling for a fare strike and hung it from an upper level of the World Trade Center transit hub Friday morning.
The group also called for a protest at 5 p.m. at Grand Central Terminal.
How this will affect commuters’ trips home is unclear. Actions posted on Twitter show emergency exits being zip-tied open in some subway stations, some riders “swiping it forward” and graffiti.
Now || We are receiving reports “Chained open + superglue in the swipes” on #J31 #FTP3 pic.twitter.com/qneyxY5XFJ— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
One Twitter user posted a notice from an employer sending workers home two-hours early so they could avoid any transit trouble from the protests.
We have eyes and ears. This is a movement and our demands are clear.👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/WPWicefpmQ— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
The group has called for non-violent protests. Including fare evasion, “swipe it forward” where riders pay for another riders fare with a Metrocard and other acts of non-violent protest.
Other actions reported on Twitter included putting glue on OMNY fare readers on some turnstiles and putting superglue in MetroCard swipe readers. Those actions were denounced by MTA officials.
“This demonstration activity follows the dangerous pattern of previous activities that have resulted in vandalization and defacement of MTA property – clearly violating laws," said Patrick Warren, MTA Chief Safety Officer. “Those actions divert valuable time, money and resources away from investments in transit services that get New Yorkers to their jobs, schools, doctors and other places they need to go.”
The MTA is monitoring conditions and cooperating with the NYPD and MTA PD to maintain service while ensuring everyone’s safety, he said.
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