A group of protesters rushed the stage at a New York City mayoral forum on Wednesday to protest candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, saying that “Cuomo lies, people die.”
The demonstrators were referring to Mr. Cuomo’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As governor, he ordered nursing homes to readmit elderly patients recovering from the disease to lessen the burden on hospitals. Some have alleged that his administration subsequently understated the COVID-19 death toll in New York due to speculation that the directive caused more to die from the disease.
Mr. Cuomo was governor from 2011 through 2021, when he resigned from office after being accused of sexual harassment by multiple women and was succeeded by current Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Mr. Cuomo was sitting on stage as part of the “Black Agenda” forum held by multiple Democratic groups at Medgar Evers College when the multiracial protesters got on stage.
They chanted and tried to unfurl a banner before being rushed off stage, as seen in a video posted online by Politico reporter Jeff Coltin.
Mr. Cuomo brushed off the protesters, saying they “want to play political games. That’s part of the problem in this system, right? Too much politics, not enough substance, not enough discussion,” according to the New York Post.
Henry Butler, vice chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, who has endorsed Mr. Cuomo, excoriated the protesters on racial grounds.
“I think it’s a disgrace when I see a bunch of young, White progressives trying to tell Black people who we should vote for. We know how to think for ourselves,” Mr. Butler said, according to a video posted by Mr. Coltin.
The election for mayor is Nov. 4.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
