Rockland County, NY - Over one hundred angry residents held a rally calling for a “regime change” outside the Ramapo Town Hall on Tuesday before storming a scheduled Planning Board meeting where they planned to voice their opposition to the “political favoritism” they say is ruining their town.
LOHUD.com (http://lohud.us/1cvhcVN) reports that many protesters held signs dedicated to the town’s latest hot-button issue, the granting of a temporary permit to the ultra-Orthodox congregation Mosdos Sanz Klausenburg to operate a yeshiva out of a single-family residence on Eckerson Lane.
“People are just fed up,” said 40 year-old activist Michael Miller, who is leading the charge against the Eckerson Lane yeshiva. “They are fed up with the obvious corruption in this community and the favoritism and mistreatment.”
The bulk of the protesters’ ire was directed at Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence and his perceived favoritism towards the rapidly-growing ultra-Orthodox community on decisions involving land use and development—-opposition ultra-Orthodox leaders often claim is religion-based, but which opponents in attendance denied.
Video Below: A large crowd turns out to protest political corruption and favoritism given to the ultra-orthodox Jewish community at Ramapo Town Hall. ( Video by Peter Carr/The Journal News courtesy to VINnews.com)
“I don’t care what your religion is,” said the Rev. Weldon McWilliams IV of the activist group Wake Up Rockland, “If your value system is to exploit the community, I want you out of the way. This has nothing to do with religion.”
Following the rally, protesters filed into the Town Hall to voice their opposition on the Eckerson Lane yeshiva, only to see their hopes dashed when the topic was tabled by the Planning Board at the “congregation’s request.”
Activists reaffirmed their commitment to return in “full force” at any future meetings on the matter.
“This town, it’s in bad shape,” said Michael Miller. “And we can’t go back to where we were. But if we don’t do something, it’s only going to get worse.
LOHUD.com (http://lohud.us/1cvhcVN) reports that many protesters held signs dedicated to the town’s latest hot-button issue, the granting of a temporary permit to the ultra-Orthodox congregation Mosdos Sanz Klausenburg to operate a yeshiva out of a single-family residence on Eckerson Lane.
“People are just fed up,” said 40 year-old activist Michael Miller, who is leading the charge against the Eckerson Lane yeshiva. “They are fed up with the obvious corruption in this community and the favoritism and mistreatment.”
The bulk of the protesters’ ire was directed at Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence and his perceived favoritism towards the rapidly-growing ultra-Orthodox community on decisions involving land use and development—-opposition ultra-Orthodox leaders often claim is religion-based, but which opponents in attendance denied.
Video Below: A large crowd turns out to protest political corruption and favoritism given to the ultra-orthodox Jewish community at Ramapo Town Hall. ( Video by Peter Carr/The Journal News courtesy to VINnews.com)
“I don’t care what your religion is,” said the Rev. Weldon McWilliams IV of the activist group Wake Up Rockland, “If your value system is to exploit the community, I want you out of the way. This has nothing to do with religion.”
Following the rally, protesters filed into the Town Hall to voice their opposition on the Eckerson Lane yeshiva, only to see their hopes dashed when the topic was tabled by the Planning Board at the “congregation’s request.”
Activists reaffirmed their commitment to return in “full force” at any future meetings on the matter.
“This town, it’s in bad shape,” said Michael Miller. “And we can’t go back to where we were. But if we don’t do something, it’s only going to get worse.
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