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Parents Protest Migrant Shelter Plans at Brooklyn Public Schools

Storyful

Parents of students at Brooklyn’s PS 172 protested on Tuesday morning, May 16, against proposed plans to convert 20 public school gymnasiums into temporary shelters for asylum-seeking immigrants.

Mayor Eric Adams said on Tuesday morning that the city was considering 20 school gyms to house migrants arriving in New York City. The mayor said it was “one of the last places” the city wanted to consider, and told NY1, “none of us are comfortable with having to take these drastic steps.”

Footage taken by Christopher Leon Johnson shows demonstrators in Sunset Park on Tuesday morning, chanting “Safety is first” and “Gyms are for children” as they hold signs.

Protests were also taking place outside PS 17 in Williamsburg, according to local reports. Credit: Christopher Leon Johnson via Storyful

Video transcript

- --first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first!

- In espanol!

- Safety is first!

[CHEERING]

[CHATTER]

[CHEERING]

[HONKING]

- [SPEAKING SPANISH]

- No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on schoolyards! No shelters on schoolyards! No shelters on schoolyards!

No shelters on school grounds. No shelters on school grounds. No shelters on schoolyards! No shelters on schoolyards! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds!

No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds!

- Louder!

- No shelters on school grounds!

- Louder!

- No shelters on school grounds!

- Louder!

- No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds!

No shelters on school grounds!

- Louder!

- No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds!

- Louder!

- No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds! No shelters on school grounds!

- One minute. One minute.

- No shelters on school grounds.

- One minute.

- No shelters--

- One minute, please.

- Wait, wait, wait.

- One minute, please.

- No shelters on school grounds.

- Can you repeat after me? 172 united.

- 172 united! 172 united! 172 united! 172 united! 172 united! 172 united! 172 united! 172 united! 172 united!

- One minute!

- 172 united!

- Sorry.

- 172 united!

- Can we say it in Spanish, please?

- [CHANTING IN SPANISH]

- Can we say it in Spanish, please?

- [CHANTING IN SPANISH]

- Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children!

[CHEERING]

Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children! Gyms are for children!

- In espanol!

- Gyms are for children!

- In espanol!

- [CHANTING IN SPANISH]

- Safety is first!

- Yes.

- Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first! Safety is first!

- In espanol!

- Safety is first!

[CHATTER]