Protesters: Zeldin must quit, Garbarino must vote to impeach Trump
This story was reported by Robert Brodsky, Antonio Planas and Nicholas Spangler. It was written by Brodsky.
Activists Monday demanded the resignation of Shirley Republican House member Lee Zeldin after Wednesday's siege of the U.S. Capitol and urged his freshman colleague, Seaford Rep. Andrew Garbarino, to support impeaching President Donald Trump.
The protests outside both lawmakers' Long Island offices and organized by Long Island Activists, a progressive group, came as House Democrats moved Monday to oust Trump with just days left in his presidency. A vote on a single article of impeachment could come as early as Wednesday.
The bulk of the anger Monday was reserved for Zeldin, a close Trump ally who voted with more than 100 House Republicans to overturn results of the presidential election in several swing states.
"You cannot use your office to incite violence as Zeldin has done," said Shoshana Hershkowitz, 44, a teacher from South Setauket who helped organize the protest outside the congressman's Patchogue office, which attracted about 100 demonstrators.
Zeldin, she said, had failed the most basic test of an elected leader by not "respecting the result of a free and fair election."
Air Force veteran Peter Hanson, 78, of Nesconset, agreed and called Zeldin "an embarrassment" who "supported the insurrectionists."
Six counterprotesters supported Zeldin, with at least one saying there had been voter fraud and other irregularities, despite a lack of evidence and multiple failed court cases brought by Trump.
Zeldin spokeswoman Katie Vincentz cited past instances where Democrats had challenged electoral vote counts in previous Republican presidential victories.
"It’s an incredible double standard that if Republicans object as well on the same date in the same place as part of the same process then that makes them all seditious traitors," Vincentz said in an email. "Those who committed acts of violence in the Capitol must be held accountable. Those eager to use Wednesday to settle political scores though are only dividing our country more."
Meanwhile, seven demonstrators gathered at Garbarino’s office in Massapequa Park demanding he vote to impeach Trump. An article of impeachment introduced Monday by House Democrats in response to the Capitol siege said Trump, among other offenses, "gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government."
Demonstrators outside the office of Garbarino, who took office last week, replacing retired Rep. Peter King, held signs reading "All lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter" and "Trump = Disgrace. Impeach!"
"We need to impeach and remove Trump as soon as possible," said Jennifer Grinberg, 70, of Seaford, a part-time Uber driver. "He incited people at the Capitol."
Christine Lorson, 29, of Amityville, a food service employee, acknowledged she was "expecting a larger turnout" at the rally but said it's important to hold Trump accountable.
"We need to let officials know what happened last week can’t go unnoticed," Lorson said.
A Garbarino spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.
A handful of protesters also gathered outside Rep. Tom Suozzi's Huntington office, urging the Glen Cove Democrat to support impeachment. A similar protest outside Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice's Garden City office failed to materialize. Rice and Suozzi support removing Trump.
