Wednesday, February 1 (New York, New York)
On Thursday, February 2, Yemeni grocery store owners across five New York boroughs will close 1,000 stores from 12pm to 8pm in response to the Trump administration’s infamous “Muslim Ban” executive order. This shutdown of grocery stores and bodegas will be a public show of the vital role these grocers and their families play in New York’s economic and social fabric and, during this period, grocery store owners will spend time with their families and loved ones to support each other; many of these families have been directly affected by the Ban.
Thursday evening at 5:15pm, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St. in the back of the building facing the plaza, the Yemeni American community will hold a rally, where some merchants will share the impact the Ban has had on them and their loved one. The program will begin with the Muslim call for prayer and a public sundown prayer by Muslim rally participants. The prayer will be followed by several Yemeni merchants and their families sharing personal stories of how their lives and families have been impacted by the ban, as well as stories read on behalf of families who are afraid to come forward.
“Originally, we considered starting the shutdown at 8am, but the grocers they made it clear they wouldn’t be willing to close if that meant their regulars wouldn’t get their morning coffee,” relayed Debbie Almontaser, board member of the Muslim Community Network and one of the rally organizers. “Even when their lives have been turned upside down, they refused to disrupt the lives of the very people they serve daily.”
Rally Details:
5:15-8:00pm ET
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
Media contact:
Widad Hassan
widad.hassan1@gmail.com
Ashley Houghton
301-793-6604
ashley@rethinkmedia.org
Back-up: Debbie Almontaser
debbiealmontaser1@gmail.com
Facebook Page for #NYCBodegaStrike:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1792162054368070/