Protesting caravan visits Hamptons billionaires with cries to ‘tax the rich, not the poor’

The protesters were said to be chanting “Tax the rich, not the poor” and carrying plastic pitchforks  
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Margaret Abrams2 July 2020

According to Page Six, more than 100 drivers and approximately 200 marchers ventured to the Hamptons as part of the Hamptons Billionaires Car Caravan Protest to protest outside former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s $20 million mansion.

Bloomberg’s Hamptons home is the Ballyshear Estate, a 22,000-square-foot mansion with 11 bedrooms, eight bathrooms and horse stables (his daughter, Georgina Bloomberg, is a noted equestrian). Bloomberg, who previously spent millions on an unsuccessful presidential bid, is said to be worth $60 billion.

According to Facebook, the protest was hosted by the Alliance for Quality Education of New York, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing, Long Island Progressive Coalition, Long Island Activists, Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) and New York Communities for Change.

The page read, “On July 1st, social justice organizations and the Shinnecock Indian Nation are paying the nation’s biggest looters a visit-- billionaires! They take our land to build golf courses, profit from the ravages of COVID-19, buy politicians, exploit our labor and give money to the cops that continue to brutalize us.”

The protesters were said to be chanting, “Tax the rich, not the poor,” outside his Southampton home. Some were seen carrying plastic pitchforks.

The protesters want New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to raise taxes on the state’s billionaires to provide financial aid during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance was also involved and had about 40 of their cabs present.

The protests also targeted Blackstone CEO Steven Schwarzman, who is worth $19.4 billion according to Forbes, and Hudson Yards developer and Equinox owner Stephen Ross, who is worth $7.7 billion. Ross previously received backlash for hosting fundraisers for Donald Trump.

Footage emerged of the protests on Twitter, with a large banner reading, “Tax the rich, not the poor.” Other signs call for canceling rent and stopping school shootings.

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