The median age of the crowd walking to the Social Security office from Peekskill’s downtown Gazebo during Tuesday’s Tax Day rally was within the range of eligibility to collect benefits from the Social Security administration. Approximately 100 people chanted, held signs and protested proposed cuts to government benefits. There were a handful of younger people also participating.
“Social security and Medicare matters to us,” said Meaghan Shawcross of Croton and her sister Kathleen K. of Larchmont, who were attending the rally. “We don’t want to be in a fascist society, if we’re not already there,” they added.
The April 15 rally was organized and sponsored by a coalition of community organizations to draw attention to the cuts that the government office of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is implementing. April 15 is the day taxes are due to the federal government and organizers wanted to make a statement that taxes need to go to citizens and not billionaires. Organizing groups included Citizen Action of New York, Vocal Action Fund, Cortlandt, Croton-On-Hudson, Ossining, Peekskill Indivisible, Indivisible Yorktown, Indivisible Rockland, Putnam Progressives, Peekskill Progressives, Empire State Voices, Food & Water Watch and Make the Road Happen.
Isaiah Fenichel of Citizen Action of New York led the march with a bullhorn and was the master of ceremonies when the crowd reached the building where Social Security has its offices. It was the statewide group’s first event in Peekskill, said organizer Ravo Root. He was one of about ten organizers with the group that kept marchers on the sidewalks as they walked the three blocks along Park Street to the Social Security Administration offices at 1 Park Place.
Chanting “This is what democracy looks like” and “The people united will never be defeated,” they marched until they reached the sidewalk outside of One Park Place and participated in a call and response: “Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power!”
Crompond resident Bernie Stringer was there with his sign affixed to his cane that read “Hands off Democracy.” He said he came out because the “state of our country sucks.” He said he went to the nationwide Hands Off Rally on April 5 and has been to other rallies over the past 70 years. “The state of our county is terrible. We need to turn things around and this is one way to do it. I vote,” he said. He added he was encouraged to see Harvard University fighting back against government demands and he also was glad to see judicial rulings against the government. “I was disappointed about Columbia University.” Columbia University acquiesced to government demands in the face of losing federal funding.
John Mayer of Peekskill was there with his two-year-old daughter Violet because he said he believes in Social Security and Medicare being funded but he’s afraid about deportation and people being sent to prisons outside this country. “So many things that are going on are scaring me.” Edwin Minter, also of Peekskill, was there because he’s aware of what’s going on in Washington, DC and he wants to show support for people protesting and make people more aware of what’s happening. “I hope people can feel confident to join organizations and rallies and speak out for rights and policies.”
