Thousands gather in Trenton for anti-Christie rallyTRENTON — A series of speakers revved up the crowd at this afternoon's rally in Trenton by taunting Gov. Chris Christie and his plans to cut the state's budget. The rally wrapped up around 2:30 p.m. Christie's spokesman Michael Drewniak said the protesters are "blinded by their own rhetoric," and "on the wrong side...
| Thousands gather in Trenton for anti-Christie rally |
The rally wrapped up around 2:30 p.m.
Christie's spokesman Michael Drewniak said the protesters are "blinded by their own rhetoric," and "on the wrong side of history."
Here are some of the comments from the stage:
"We will not be silenced. We will prevail," said New Jersey Teacher of the Year Maryann Woods-Murphy.
"We stand together today, not for ourselves but for us all," Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, executive director of NJ Citizen Action.
"The human needs infrastructure in New Jersey is falling apart, and that is a crisis," said William McNary, president of USAction, comparing the state's budget situation to the Minnesota bridge collapse and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"I ask our governor, when our school system is trying to teach anti-bullying, to stop being the biggest bully in the state," said James Harris, president of the New Jersey chapter of the NAACP.
"If these legislators remain silent, then they are (Christie's) accomplices," Keshishian said, firing a warning shot at Democratic lawmakers.
"We're not gonna take it!" New Jersey AFL-CIO president Charles Wowkanech, leading the crowd in another chant.
Star-Ledger Statehouse Bureau reporters Claire Heininger, Matt Friedman and Peggy Ackermann are Tweeting live from the event. Follow the latest updates on NJ.com, or through Twitter at NJ_BreakingNews.
To join in the Twitter conversation, use the hashtag #njrally.
Also check our Real Time News and Politics blogs for updates throughout the day on Saturday.
More coverage:
• N.J. rally against Gov. Chris Christie's budget cuts could draw 30K, organizers say
• Public worker unions plan massive rally in Trenton against Gov. Chris Christie's budget cuts
• Hundreds of N.J. librarians protest $10.4M proposed budget cuts
• Complete coverage of the 2010 New Jersey state budget
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During the protest in Trenton against Chris Christie today.