Protesters Occupy Bloomberg's Harlem Campaign Office

HARLEM, NY — Protesters occupied the lobby of New York City's former billionaire mayor Mike Bloomberg's Harlem campaign office on Friday asking the presidential hopeful to support higher taxes on his own income bracket.

Dozens of demonstrators stood in Bloomberg's office on Harlem's 125th Street — some toting a cake as an ironic "housewarming" gift for the recently-opened office — to denounce Bloomberg's three terms as New York City mayor and his quest for the presidency. The rally was organized as part of the Make Billionaire's Pay campaign launched by advocacy groups such as Strong Economy for All Coalition, New York Communities for Change (NYCC), VOCAL New York, and Housing Justice for All.

In addition to occupying Bloomberg's office, the advocates published a letter accusing him of prioritizing "the interests of the wealthy elite, especially your fellow billionaires, over everyone else," during his tenure as mayor.

"The New York of today is an unforgiving place of extreme inequality, rising homelessness, and

turbo-charged gentrification in every borough. Your three terms as Mayor turned New York into
a gilded, exclusive club where only the most affluent and well-connected are welcome. Your
stop and frisk policy criminalized and brutalized countless black, brown, and poor New Yorkers
–a horrifying reality that no self-serving apology from you can change," the letter reads.

During the protest, activists urged Bloomberg to support new taxes on billionaires such as the wealth taxes proposed by fellow presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Advocates also hailed a proposal being considered by Democratic state legislators to enact new taxes on the richest New Yorkers and end tax breaks on assets such as yachts and private jets.

"You have $60 billion in wealth. You brought more billionaires here. Now we demand you join

New Yorkers calls to #MakeBillionairesPay, by starting with your own empire," advocates wrote in the letter penned to Bloomberg.

Bloomberg was not present at the Harlem office during the rally, according to protesters.

The former mayor and media mogul opened his Harlem office in a 3,500-square-foot office space in Greystone Property Development's building at 69 E 125th Street near Malcolm X Boulevard earlier this month. The Harlem office represents the campaign's second real estate move since Bloomberg announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential primary in November. The businessman-turned-politician locked down space for a headquarters in Times Square.

Bloomberg's early campaign has been marked by an apology tour for the controversial NYPD "stop and frisk" policy employed during his tenure and a massive television ad blitz.