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NY Post
New York Post
28 Aug 2023


NextImg:Curtis Sliwa among at least five arrested during Gracie Mansion protest over NYC migrant crisis

At least five people – including former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa – were busted during a raucous clash outside Gracie Mansion over migrant housing in the Big Apple, authorities and sources said Monday. 

The 69-year-old Guardian Angels founder was charged with obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct, and released on a desk appearance ticket following the Sunday afternoon rally outside the mayoral residence on the Upper East Side, police sources said. 

It was the third time in less than two weeks that Sliwa has been handcuffed while protesting migrant sites across the city.

“These migrants have jumped the queue,” he told the crowd, made up of about 100 demonstrators bashing City Hall’s handling of the migrant crisis, Sunday.

“And by the way, if I were a migrant and you gave me an opportunity to jump the queue and stay in a hotel, give me three square meals … — basically give me more than homeless people born in America have or veterans who are down on their luck have — you’re damn right they’re gonna keep coming,” Sliwa said.

Five people were arrested as protesters on both sides of the migrant debate clash outside Gracie Mansion Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
Getty Images

The “We are the People, Freedom Rally” began around 2 p.m. and spanned about 2-and-a-half hours, drawing about 50 counter-protestors, who yelled “F–k white supremacist NYPD!” as about 50 cops looked on. 

In addition to Sliwa, two elderly people were slapped with the same charges and also received desk appearance tickets: Luis Menchaca, 80, and Collette Rottenstreich, 81, the sources said. 

Jennifer Hansen, 31, was charged with resisting arrest, assault and disorderly conduct, according to the sources. She also received a desk appearance ticket. 

A counter protestor gets into a physical confrontation with an anti-migrant protestors during a rally and protest outside of Gracie Mansion on Sunday.

Four of those arrested — including Curtis Sliwa (not pictured) — were slapped with desk appearance tickets, cops said.
Getty Images

The four are scheduled to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court on Sept. 11 to answer the charges, according to the district attorney’s office. 

A fifth person, Andrew Hallinan, 32, faces charges of assault on a police officer, firefighter or EMT, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and assault, the sources said. 

His arraignment was pending Monday afternoon. 

Both Hansen and Hallinan are known as “professional protestors,” the sources said. 

One of the protesters is shown clashing with police outside Gracie Mansion Sunday afternoon.

Two of those arrested are known as “professional protestors,” sources said.
G.N.Miller/NYPost

A sixth person was also taken into custody, but not charged, according to the sources. 

One police officer suffered a minor hand injury while arresting someone, the sources said.

No other injuries were reported. 

Some of demonstrators screamed and threw punches at each other at the rally as most bashed officials for how the city has handled the influx of asylum-seekers from the US-Mexico border.

“No migrants on Long Island!” a Donald Trump supporter shouted during the protest. “We pay a lot of property taxes!”

Pro- and anti-migrant protestors are seen clashing outside Gracie Mansion Sunday afternoon.

The raucous scene outside Mayor Eric Adams’ Upper East Side residence lasted about two-and-a-half hours.
ZUMAPRESS.com

Another yelled, “Americans over migrants!”

Members of the anti-asylum seeker crowd held signs warning of “unvetted migrants” and cautioned that “our safety is in serious jeopardy.”

The assembled counter-protesters returned the verbal volley.

During the fracas, Sliwa compared himself to the pacifist leader of India’s independence, Mahatma Gandhi — mocking Mayor Eric Adams, who earlier this month said he himself is “Gandhi-like,” thinking and acting like the historical figure.

People shout at counterprotestors as they participate in an anti-migrant rally and protest outside of Gracie Mansion on Sunday.

The anti-migrant crowd, numbering about 100, yelled, “Americans Over Migrants!”
Getty Images

“The mayor said he’s Mayor Gandhi, right? He’s never done anything Gandhi-like,” Sliwa said.

“I’m going to show him what Gandhi used to do,” he said of his plan to get cuffed for “peaceful protest.”

Last week, Sliwa was arrested while protesting outside the shuttered Island Shores Senior Residences in Midland Beach on Staten Island, where a migrant shelter was set up.

A counter-protestors holds a sign demanding that the other side "Stop the war on immigrants."

A counter-protestors holds a sign demanding that the other side “Stop the war on immigrants.”
Ron Adar / M10s / SplashNews.com

On Aug. 16, he was taken into custody outside the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens.

“I’ve been arrested so many times,” he quipped Sunday. “Civil disobedience — this will be my 80th.”

Sliwa was set to appear at another protest Monday evening outside a Staten Island Catholic school-turned-migrant-shelter, his rep said.

The tense standoff on Sunday came as about 100,000 migrants from the US southern border have flooded the five boroughs, forcing Adams to come up with at least 200 emergency shelters to house them.

The facilities, including a massive, 3,000-bed tent city on Randall’s Island, have irked locals who said they fear that the influx of migrants could be a powder keg.

Additional reporting by Kyle Schnitzer