The activist group ACT UP paid a visit to Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City yesterday, staging a gun control rally that featured a die-in on the sidewalk. ACT UP NY, along with leaders from Muslim, Latinx and LGBTQ organizations, rallied against the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s use of the recent massacre at a gay bar in Orlando to polarize Americans.
“The protest was organized by activist group ACT UP NY (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) to combat Trump’s use of the recent massacre at an Orlando gay bar to push Islamaphobia while meeting with right-wing, anti-LGBT religious groups to appeal to conservative voters,” according to organizers.
Activists yelled chants like “Donald Trump, Toxic Dump” and “Stop the Hate, Stop the Killing.” Between the chants, multiple community members spoke about the effects of violence and hate speech on the LGBT community.
“It’s awful that Donald Trump is using the Orlando massacre to push his agenda of xenophobia and bigotry when in this case, the hatred came from an American who grew up amid the hateful religious rhetoric spread by Evangelical leaders and right-wing politicians,” said ACT UP NY member Brandon Cuicchi.
More photos here from Peter Fahrni. And here’s a whole gallery from Pacific Press Agency.
LGBTQ / gun control rally outside Trump Tower rn in solidarity with #Orlando, apparently @realDonaldTrump on his way pic.twitter.com/HuCH90gC3j
— Mike Murphy (@mcwm) June 21, 2016
A few fascists came to counter-protest the #StopKillingUs protest in front of Trump Tower! pic.twitter.com/3B6uJYa4ub
— Ash J (@AshAgony) June 21, 2016
Anti-Trump protesters lay down on the sidewalk outside Trump Tower (this protest has been going on for over an hour) pic.twitter.com/fEP8WZtEkz
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) June 21, 2016
Act UP Now doing a "die in" right outside Trump Tower pic.twitter.com/VqfAak7RKw
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 21, 2016
Biggest anti Trump protest outside Trump Tower I've seen right now being staged by Act UP pic.twitter.com/sVsraKEyFP
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 21, 2016
