“Shame on you John Liu! Shame on you John Liu!” was the spontaneous chant from a crowd of about 200 protesters who showed up Oct. 19 at the Muslim Center of New York in Flushing to protest the plan to build a large casino complex next to Citi Field, home of the Mets.
The protesters were directing their ire at State Sen. Liu because of legislation he sponsored* that opened this land—a parking lot which for decades had been zoned as parkland—to development. It was one of many rallies held by climate activists and residents of Flushing-Corona, Queens, over the $8 billion project known as Metropolitan Park.
One of three downstate casino proposals approved by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board last month, it would transform what is now an empty 50-acre asphalt parking lot in Willets Point into a casino, hotel, food hall and entertainment venue that supporters say will bring tens of thousands of jobs.