State Senator Parker’s Statement On Nigeria
State Kevin Parker (D-East Flatbush, Flatbush, Midwood, Kensington, Park Slope) released a statement on the shootings that killed 56 people in Nigeria since the #EndSARS protests began near the beginning of October.
“Today I add my voice to the cries of the international community in denouncing the shooting of protestors in Nigeria at the hands of the local police. The reports coming out of the region of police randomly opening gunfire on peaceful protests are horrific. Like everywhere else the protesters have a right to their freedom of expression of what for far too long has been an unjust and corrupt system which indiscriminately targets those who speak out against its violent tactics. Furthermore, by now it has become clear that the protests in Nigeria’s capital and other regions are not just about the crimes of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which has been the main focus,” said Parker.
“It is about real police reform and the need for the elite ruling class to stop playing games in disbanding and subsequently reframing the unit as has been done on several occasions. The ray of light in these otherwise heart-wrenching recent events is that the young protestors in Nigeria are rediscovering their voice and their power. We in the international community must now aid in the amplification of their voices so that real police reform would be the outcome and those who have sadly lost their lives would not have died in vain,” he wrote.
Nigerians have been demonstrating and calling for the ban of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad police unit that has been long accused of violent harassment. The protests sparked after a video showed a SARS officer allegedly shooting a man in Delta state before driving off. The protests united under the hashtag #EndSARS and has spread outward globally.
Adams on Reproductive Health
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams released testimony that he delivered yesterday on two bills in the City Council, both introduced at his request, at a joint hearing held by the City Council’s Committee on Women and Gender Equity and the Committee on Health on “Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in New York City.”
“At a time when the Federal government is taking an increasingly hostile stance toward the rights of women to control their own bodies, the City needs to step up and serve as a beacon that safeguards hard-won gender and reproductive freedoms. I am proud to be supporting Intro 1662, a necessary complement to the groundbreaking legislation this Council passed in 2016 requiring lactation rooms in certain public buildings to ensure these rooms are safe and sanitary, and Intro 1828, which will proactively address the public health issue of FGM/C, which affects thousands of women throughout the US. I thank my colleagues in the City Council for holding this important hearing,” said Adams.
Adams noted in his testimony that Brooklyn Borough Hall was one of the first municipal government buildings in the city to provide a lactation lounge open to the public, which debuted in 2015. Legislation passed by the City Council the following year required lactation rooms in certain public buildings throughout New York City.
Intro 1662 would build on these successes, requiring the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to provide mandatory annual training to staff at locations required to make lactation rooms available. It would also require DOHMH to inspect the lactation rooms at least quarterly for cleanliness, safety, and accessibility.
Gillibrand Wants to Extend Erie Canalway
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a press conference yesterday to call to extend the authorization of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission.
The members announced legislation this week that would extend the Commission’s authorization from its current sunset date of September 30, 2021 to September 30, 2034.
“The Erie Canal is a part of New York’s rich history of innovation. Since its construction it has been a critical part of our economy, most recently as a central part of our tourism economy in Upstate New York. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has helped sustain strong communities for the millions of New Yorkers who call the Erie Canal Corridor home,” said Gillibrand.“As we approach the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, we must ensure the Commission has the full support of Congress to continue to implement the Canalway Plan and protect and provide access to the historical, cultural, and environmental resources the canal provides. I’m proud to introduce this bicameral legislation with Congressman Tonko to reauthorize this important program for years to come.”
