BY JEFFERSON SIEGEL | It wasn’t a happy holiday for a group of demonstrators who staged a die-in on Christmas day to protest President-elect Donald Trump’s recent comments on escalating the nuclear arms race.
Chanting, “No nukes! No Trump! No fascist 2017!” they dropped to the ground in front of the remnants of the Union Square Holiday Market on Sunday afternoon, causing strollers to stop at the sight of prone bodies amidst the holiday displays.
“This is a disaster for humanity that someone has been elected who is very gung-ho about the use of nuclear weapons,” said activist Noche Diaz. “This has to be stopped. In the name of humanity, people can’t wait and see what a fascist demagogue who has his finger on the nuclear button and hands on power over society is going to do with that.”
In a series of tweets just days before Christmas, Trump unexpectedly declared the U.S. “must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability.”
After several minutes, the group rose from the sidewalk and engaged in conversations with passersby. There were no arrests.
A similar action was scheduled for later Sunday afternoon in San Francisco. The local action was organized by the NYC Revolution Club in coordination with RefuseFascism.org.
