Dozens of sad New York families who lost their elderly loved ones during the pandemic joined eight of Andrew Cuomo's mayor's enemies on Sunday, marking five years five years after serving as the subject of the former governor's controversy to house covid patients in nursing homes.
The family and candidates united in grief and anger, encouraging Cuomo for his fateful decision. This led to the untimely deaths of many estimated 15,000 nurse residents.
“My mother's name is Anna Martinez. She was a strong and kind woman who dedicated her life to her family,” said Alexa Rivera, who founded Voice for her seniors along with her sister Vivian Zayer.
“She deserves dignity, protection and a government that cherished her life,” Rivera said at the rally. “But instead, she was abandoned by the very system that was supposed to protect her when the pandemic hit.
“I stand not as a grieving daughter before you today, but as the voice of the thousands of families who have lost their loved ones due to Andrew Cuomo's reckless and deadly decisions,” Rivera said. “My sister and I never realised that our mother voted for was the person who promoted her death.
“Let's be clear. This was more than just an accident. It was a failure in leadership, a betrayal of trust, an avoidable tragedy.”
The mood was filled with emotion outside of Cobble Hill Brownstone, who lives with Norman Irvinney and died after signing Covid-19 at the age of 89.
There, the victims' memorial stretches across the quiet block of Amity Street, featuring photographs of hundreds of families and makeshift “walls” paying homage to those who have passed away.
On the wall, for the event, a spirit hearse and a closed co-co was caught between a closed ffin donated from the church on the street. They were designed to serve as iconic reminders for funerals that mourning families couldn't get for loved ones due to the pandemic.
Many mourners embraced the flowers and placed them on the co before speaking on the podium.
Norman's son Peter Irviny is one of the founders of We Care Memorial Wall, hosting events that are funerals and some memory ceremonies. After the speakers took the microphone, shared memories, and demanded that Cuomo be accountable.
“The governor called out to people who were talking about him being a great manager. Well, he managed to not apologise,” Peter said. “He was able to gas-light our family rather than dealing with our losses. He hadn't managed to disobey CDC guidelines. He could lie about nursing homes. He managed to admit his mistake.
Peter's brother, Daniel, remembered his father as a man full of life, a man of keen heart, a safe driver, even at his upper age.
“They were our most precious people, our elders. We want justice for them,” Daniel said. “We want the truth.
“We don't need to be sad anymore because we want the government to take a step forward and help get there. We don't have to hide what happened in March, April, May 2020.
“Remember the funeral. You couldn't see your loved one. You'll have up to 10 people,” he said.
Mayoral candidates, including Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Jim Walden, Jumane Williams, Zohran Mamdani, Scott Stringer, Curtis Sliwa and Adrienne Adams, were on hand for the event and looked back on the rigorous anniversary, directing Cuomo's stabbing barbs.
“Andrew Cuomo will not be the next mayor of New York City, because he will not come down from the mountains and face you. He is scared and cowardly.”
Councillor Adams, who shared the story of losing his father to Covid in May 2020, expressed sympathy with the crowd.
“I will stand with all of you who have been victims of what is called the governor, and I will never be accountable for what he has done to you today.
Mayor Brad Lander, who threw a hat in the ring for the mayor, said, “By October.” [2020]after the order on March 25th, thousands of people died in nursing homes, but there was no accountability for this.
“We already had a book deal, we had already marked the State Department. [of Health] We report misrepresented a shortage of deaths in nurses, but we were not accountable. There were no apology. He never met his family or looked into the eyes of the victims. ”
In a statement to the Post, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopaldi expressed his sadness for the family that lost a loved one and clapped violently at a wave of criticism from opponents of the former governor.
“Our hearts break for the families of all those who have lost their loved ones, but unfortunately [Department of Justice Inspector General] Over the years, it has confirmed that pain has been weaponized and politicized purely for election purposes,” he wrote.
“Being mayor of the world's greatest city is an incredible job that requires a proven track record of experience, achievement and management. [Democratic Socialists of America] The candidate has it. ”
