100 March, Nine Arrested
in Protest of FreshDirect Relocation to South Bronx
Group
asks Mayor de Blasio to drop opposition to environmental lawsuit
Nine South Bronx residents were arrested when blocked from
entering public brownfield land on the South Bronx waterfront, the proposed
location of FreshDirect. Their intention was to plant detoxifying sunflowers.
Residents have filed a lawsuit in opposition to
FreshDirect’s proposed relocation.
The lawsuit seeks a full environmental impact study of the
proposed project.
Mayor de Blasio has the opportunity to drop the City’s opposition
to the lawsuit. This would compel the environmental review.
Those arrested include faith leaders, directors of local
organizations and other South Bronx community leaders. They arrived at the
Harlem River Yard as part of a march of more than 100.
The event was peaceful and exuberant. It included traditional
Puerto Rican plena drummers, a mariachi band, giant puppets, local children
playing cello, and an interfaith reflection.
FreshDirect, if allowed to proceed, would bring 1,500
additional daily truck trips through the South Bronx. This plan is a
Bloomberg-era relic attempting to give the diesel-intensive grocer nearly $130
million in public subsidies to move to this public waterfront land. This
community is already burdened by asthma hospitalization rates at 21 times that
of other New York City neighborhoods.
