Chuck Schumer Protest At His Park Slope Home: As It Happened

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Thousands of protesters made the short march from Grand Army Plaza to Sen. Chuck Schumer's luxury apartment at 9 Prospect Park West on a snowy Tuesday evening to encourage the senator to vote down Donald Trump's cabinet nominees and supreme court pick.

"This is going to be a long fight, a tough fight, and [Schumer] can't revert to deal-making mode" with Trump, protest organizer and Prospect Heights mom Elizabeth Zeldin, 37, told Patch. "He needs to tough it out."

Here were our live dispatches from the "What the f---, Chuck?!" rally:

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6:30 p.m.

The crowd in snowy/slushy Grand Army Plaza has grown to around 1,000 people, by our count.

Clinton Hill resident Alia Hannah, 39, gives Schumer some credit: "I think he started out being more compromising than any of us liked," she says, "but I think he's been pushing hard in the last couple days."

Protest organizers have circulated the following list of chants to rally-goers.

Some of the night's more popular chants appear to be "Filibuster every bill! Filibuster everything!" and "Chuck, Chuck, don't sell us out, we need a fighter to knock Trump out!"

Kids are chanting, too, because this is Park Slope after all.

6:50 p.m.

Along with the list of suggested chants, a letter to Schumer is being passed around, encouraging him to "withhold consent" on Trump's cabinet nominees. Hundreds of protesters are adding their signatures.

More activists are arriving to Grand Army Plaza by the dozen — there appears to be well over 1,000 people here now.

Chants of "Vote 'No'! Vote 'No'!" are echoing through the plaza. Passing cars are honking their horns in support.

For now, the crowd appears to be happily stationed in the plaza. No word on when they plan to descend on Schumer's home at 9 Prospect Park West.

7:08 p.m.

An NYPD officer working the protest estimates the crowd has grown to between 1,500 and 2,000 people.

A labor-union leader steps to the mic and rails on Schumer for a spell. He mentions sarcastically that he wishes he, like the senator, could afford an apartment on Prospect Park West.

Spotted: some oblivious little kids playing in the snow on the edge of the plaza, because again, this is Park Slope.

The crowd is getting antsy — looks like the march to Schumer's house could start any minute.

7:15 p.m.

About to march to Schumer's. Protest organizers tell the crowd over the PA system that they want the senator's well-to-do neighbors to get so annoyed that they call him themselves. "Make some f***ing noise!" one organizer says. (Breaking a promise in the Facebook event description to "keep the chants family friendly, despite the name of this rally.")

7:20 p.m.

The crowd is moving down Prospect Park West now. If the thousands-strong group chants aren't enough to annoy the neighbors, this marching band should be.

7:22 p.m.

Protesters have reached Schumer's house. (Or at least as many as can fit on the sidewalk.) Chant of choice, directed up toward the senator's window: "Wake up, Chuck!"

7:30 p.m.

As could have been expected, the crowd of thousands is too large for everyone to fit on the sidewalk outside Schumer's house. (Which has been separated from bike and car lanes by a police barricade.) People at the back of the crowd are yelling at people at the front of the crowd, telling them to move forward so everyone can get their turn shouting at Schumer's house.

"Sessions is a racist! Just say 'No'!" someone yells. And a chant: "Ban Bannon! Dump Trump!"

Meanwhile, one protester is holding a sign that says, "Be the leader we need or I'll run for your seat in 2022."

7:40 p.m.

A ton of cops are guarding Schumer's building on the other side of the street, and more police barricades have been set up in front of the building's doorway. Only residents of 9 Prospect Park West are being allowed to pass.

Here's what the senator would see right now if he were home, and walked out of his apartment building in a bathrobe:

But the crowd has momentarily forgotten about their Democratic minority leader. "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go!" they chant in unison, louder and more in synch than at any point in the night so far.

7:45 p.m.

The mob now stretches from the plaza to maybe one half-block past Schumer's building.

"Resist or resign!" protesters chant.

7:55 p.m.

Looks like the crowd is beginning to disperse a little back at the plaza — but the dedicated hundreds outside Schumer's front door are still going strong. "You have a mission! Lead the opposition!" they cry.

"I feel like now is the time for our voices to be heard," Cobble Hill resident Jennifer Fragale, 34, tells Patch.

"I think he's in a tough position," Fragale says of Schumer, "but he needs to stand up for his constituents. I would like him to restore some sanity to our government. It's only been eight days, and we've lost it all."

8 p.m.

Major dispersal happening now. A few hundred people are still rallying, but we're signing out. 'Til next time, folks.

And for the record, Schumer came out with an almost-immediate statement condemning Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch for the nation's highest court.

"Given his record, I have very serious doubts about Judge Gorsuch’s ability to meet this standard," Schumer said. "Judge Gorsuch has repeatedly sided with corporations over working people, demonstrated a hostility toward women’s rights, and most troubling, hewed to an ideological approach to jurisprudence that makes me skeptical that he can be a strong, independent Justice on the Court."

Original story:

Schumer has taken criticism from some liberals this month who find his views too centrist, or find him too willing to play politics with a POTUS they despise.

While he's denounced Trump's more radically right-wing stances and policies, the Senate minority leader has said he'd be willing to work with Trump — a fellow New Yorker — on issues such as infrastructure.

Schumer has voted "Yes" on three Trump cabinet picks already: General James Mattis for the Department of Defense, General John Kelly for the Department of Homeland Security,and Mike Pompeo for the Central Intelligence Agency.

The senator said Monday, however, that he would oppose at least eight of Trump's other cabinet appointees — including Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary, Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State and Jeff Sessions for Attorney General.

Photos by Marc Torrence/Patch