NYPD keeps watch as tempers flare outside planned St. John Villa migrant shelter
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Silive.com: NYPD keeps watch as tempers flare outside planned St. John Villa migrant shelter
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — NYPD officers kept a lid on flaring tempers outside the former St. John Villa Academy Thursday as some locals continued their protest against an incoming migrant shelter.
From about 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the crowd outside ranged in number from about 10 to 30. Their group was smaller than the more-than 1,000 people gathered outside Wednesday night to protest, but they were ready to trade insults with security and construction staff at the site.
One scene got particularly ugly when a woman — who lives in the Arrochar neighborhood and asked only to be identified as Margie — alleged one of the staffers who had begun to set up the shelter made a lewd gesture at her and her son from inside the Landis Avenue building.
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn) obtained video of the alleged incident and shared it with City Hall.
“This is a very sensitive situation at SJVA [St. John Villa Academy] and I am concerned about today’s interaction between the workers and residents,” she said. “Tensions here are already high, and once again I strongly advise the city reverse their decision on this site.”
A spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Adams’ administration confirmed that they received the video from the state senator, and that it was being looked into as the plan to move in single females and adult families into the former school in the coming days.
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