With dozens of nations represented from around the world, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams‘ 5th Annual International Day of Friendship held in Downtown Brooklyn took a serious turn yesterday with Adams’ passion-filled speech that indirectly criticized President Donald Trump and his nationalistic supporters.
“This international day of friendship is our opportunity to acknowledge the friendships we have. No matter what happens nationally. Locally is where it matters,” said Adams addressing the hundreds of people in attendance.
“All across America, we are displaying our outrage and concerns on what happens on a national level. When you stand for the national anthem and the flag of the United States, you’re not standing for any one particular president. You’re standing for the symbol of what this country represents,” the borough president added.
Adams, whose then 27-year-old uncle who fought and died in the Vietnam War, invoked first responders during the attack of the World Trade Center on September 11 and “those who went down to the border to stop children from being ripped from their mothers, daughters and fathers” as reasons to stand for the American flag.
“Those are the people we stand for,” Adams said. “We are what we are not because of one person occupying an office, but because we are made up of the American people, and the American people will always prevail regardless of what happens.”
Adams also cited his duty as a former police officer influenced on his desire to protect ethnic groups.
“You have just as much of a right to be in America as anyone has a right,” Adams said. “We are all immigrants in America. If someone tells you to go back to your country, you tell them you will when they go back to theirs.”
Adams was joined on stage with New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who chimed in about resisting the Trump Administration.
“We want to send a strong statement to Washington that we embrace diversity, we embrace our immigrant community here in New York,” Hochul said.
Hochul told the KCP that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and herself are prepared to resist policies created by the Trump Administration that “hurt people who call New York home.”
Hochul said Trump’s policies regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who she claims are separating innocent families, is a contradiction to what makes America great.
The second-generation Irish lieutenant governor said she wants to provide undocumented immigrants with legal services, counselling and language services in order to fully integrate with American culture, especially in New York City.
