Angry New Yorkers protest Paul Ryan today at Success Charter school in Harlem

Today, Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan visited Success Academy charter school in Harlem.

 

Apparently, when he showed up at the school on W. 118 St. late, at about 2:30 PM,  he  was persuaded to spend a few minutes in one of the classrooms at Mickey Mantle school P 811, one of the two co-located public schools in the building -- a school for disabled children that a few years ago, Success CEO Eva Moskowitz had tried to push out so she could take over their space.  

Then he visited the charter school, whose tactics of suspending and pushing out special needs children and others who won't conform to their strict code of discipline are well known.

Earlier, starting at 11:30 AM there were hundreds of protesters lining 118 St., which was blocked off.


Though most of the signs had to with Ryan's attempt to decimate Obamacare,  there were also several having to do with education.

The connection between the naked attempt of Ryan, Betsy DeVos and Donald Trump to privatize health care and privatize education was evident to many in the crowd.

People chanted "Shame, shame" and "Hands off our health care, hands off our schools."

Here are some of the sights, sounds and speeches at the protest this afternoon outside the school.


Former Council Member Robert Jackson helped lead chants on the north side of W. 118 St. :

Then we marched across 118 St. and stood in front of  Harlem Success Academy I.

Bob Bland, one of the organizers of the massive Women's March in DC on Jan. 21, spoke. 

Followed by the always eloquent NYC Public Advocate Tish James.

Mark Hannay of NY Metro Health Care:

And last but certainly not least, Fatima Geidi, former Success charter parent, introduced by Maria Bautista of AQE. 

All in all, New Yorkers made it very clear to Speaker Ryan and the many reporters there to cover his visit that the right-wing attempt to eviscerate public health and public education would not occur without a fight.