Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Sen. Gillibrand at Brooklyn Heights Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Pro-Palestinian protesters derailed U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s speech at the Brooklyn Heights Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting Monday night, disappointing hundreds of residents who had packed the pews of the First Unitarian Congregational Society, hoping to hear the senator’s take on rebuilding the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the housing crisis and other topics of local concern.

But the protesters blew a rare opportunity for a personal sit-down with the senator in a move that left audience members, many of whom sympathized with the protestors’ passion, shaking their heads. 

BHA members walked through a gauntlet of sign-waving demonstrators — members of Brooklyn for Peace — on their way into the church at the corner of Pierrepont Street and Monroe Place.

Before the meeting even began, a woman climbed onto the church pulpit and loudly denounced Gillibrand, reading from a script, before police officers put her in cuffs and led her away. (She was not arrested.)

It later became apparent that disrupters had planted themselves in the audience, and every time Gillibrand started to speak, another one stood up and screamed that the senator had funded Israeli genocide in Palestine. Each chanted “Free Palestine!” as they were escorted out of the church by officers from the 84th Precinct. 

Gillibrand’s address had been eagerly anticipated by the crowd, and residents had submitted questions for her in advance via the BHA website and Instagram. After multiple interruptions, some audience members became fed up, shouting for the protesters to “shut up” and “Let her speak!”

Gillibrand, who remained cool, attempted to explain to the activists that she supports a cease-fire and believes in a two-state solution for the troubled region, and offered to meet in person with them after the event. BHA leaders begged the protesters to take up the senator’s offer, as did the Rev. Meagan Henry, First Unitarian’s assistant minister, who tearfully explained that she, too, was personally affected by events in Palestine, having relatives in the area.

But the dissenters drowned out Gillibrand’s offer. After it became obvious that they would not allow her to speak, she departed. BHA Executive Director Lara Birnback told the audience that she hoped the organization could arrange an online meeting with the senator in the future, and the meeting, which was livestreamed, continued. (See BHA’s full statement at the end of this article.)

Getting down to community business

Aside from the lost opportunity to hear from Gillibrand, the rest of BHA’s meeting went smoothly. Board President Koren Volk, whose term is ending next month, was enthusiastically applauded for her leadership.

“Koren’s thoughtful and frankly unflappable approach to the job has served us very well,” Birnback said. Volk will remain on the BHA board and continue to chair the Promenade Gardens Conservancy. 

“We are proud to report the BHA has had another stellar year,” Volk said, enumerating some of the organization’s accomplishments and projects. Besides sponsorship of community events like the Halloween Parade, egg hunt and Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, the group has helped neighbors with hundreds of inquiries from sanitation to trees, plumbing, local businesses, landmarking issues and more.

Volk focused her remarks, however, on BHA’s plans for 2024 and beyond. Chief among these are the safety of the crumbling BQE. Over the next month, the NYC Department of Transportation will continue with short-term repairs, and BHA expects there will be more overnight lane closures this spring, Volk said. 

City will try again to get federal BQE grant

BHA believes the recommendations of a special BQE Expert Panel assembled under the previous administration “is the best way forward,” Volk said. “That study firmly rejects the premise that the BQE must be rebuilt in its current form to accommodate ever more cars and trucks … We also fiercely believe that any long-term planning must be part of a holistic, corridor-wide transformation which would include New York State as a stakeholder.”

Volk reported that NYC DOT’s application for an $800 million federal grant to help expand and rebuild the central section of the highway had been rejected. 

The city’s plan “essentially doubles down on the transportation thinking of the 1940s and 1950s,” and is misaligned with numerous transportation and environmental goals, she said. BHA, the Coalition for the BQE Transformation and other transportation groups advocated against this grant application in a joint letter sent in August, which was signed by16 organizations. 

BHA’s advocacy was successful, as the city’s application did not receive funding, Volk said.  However, “The city intends to proceed, and will start the NEPA environmental process in June. We are encouraging the city to see the rejection of its application as an opportunity to go back to the drawing board, to work with communities to do things the right way.”

The Public Realm

Other topics Volk discussed included BHA’s multi-year Public Realm initiative, which prioritizes the pedestrian experience on Montague Street and other neighborhood roads. The initiative builds on the panel discussion that took place at last year’s annual meeting.

A DOT street survey reached 2,000 people, and there is preliminary support for expanded sidewalks, more loading zones, traffic calming measures and “daylighting” at intersections, Volk reported. DOT will develop preliminary designs this spring and summer.

Volk gave a shoutout to Councilmember Lincoln Restler, the Cadman Park Conservancy and the Parks Department regarding the installation of new artificial turf in the park — and thanked pups and their owners for staying off the turf, which had been a touchy subject among some dog owners. Restler’s work trying to improve the safety of Atlantic Avenue, among other measures, was also applauded.

The audience was happy to learn that a new eatery, to be called the Montague Diner, would be replacing the defunct Happy Days Diner on Montague Street. It is slated to open on March 15.

Audience Q&A

While awaiting Gillibrand’s arrival, Birnback held an audience Q & A, fielding questions on local topics, including what’s happening with the Bossert Hotel (no one knows), and if a new homeless shelter is planned in the neighborhood (not that BHA is aware of).

Resident Andrew Porter asked when more bishop crook lampposts might be coming to the neighborhood. (NYC will be putting a citywide contract out to bid soon, and it could be another year or two before the posts arrive.)

Community Service Awards 

BHA presented its Community Service Awards to groups and individuals who have made a significant contribution to the neighborhood’s quality of life. Continuing a long tradition, Tom Stewart, former staff announcer for 13 WNET New York and beloved neighborhood celebrity, emceed the ceremony.

This year’s winners were Brooklyn Public Library, with its award accepted by Rachel Tiemann, librarian and branch manager at the Brooklyn Heights Library; and The Service Collective, headed by Heights moms Sarah Robertson and Amanda Jones.

The library was honored for its efforts to combat book bans across the country. In April 2022, BPL launched an initiative called ‘Books Unbanned,’ which opened their entire digital collection to kids and young adults across the country. “This meant that no matter where you lived, you could simply apply for a BPL card online, and have access to any book in the collection,” Stewart said.

“We would be remiss if we didn’t highlight the specific accomplishments of the Brooklyn Heights branch, led by Librarian and Branch Manager Rachel Tiemann,” Stewart added. Under Tiemann, the library put together several innovative programs, including an Author Talk series. 

The Service Collective was honored for creating service opportunities for local kids. 

“Several years ago, Brooklyn Heights mom Sarah Robertson was looking for service opportunities for her children and was having a hard time finding them. During this search, she met another local parent, Amanda Jones and they had the great idea of creating service opportunities for everyone’s kids.  And thus, The Service Collective was born,” Stewart said.

Since The Service Collective’s first project in September 2022, they have organized more than 250 projects — from filling the community fridge, to gardening, shopping for homebound neighbors and creating “adopt an animal” cards for local shelters, Stewart said.

Protesters ‘failed themselves’

“The BHA and the Unitarian Church welcomed everyone, had an open meeting and managed tonight’s meeting compassionately and professionally,” BHA member Cara Sadownick told the Brooklyn Eagle following the meeting. “I wish the senator had stayed to have the discussion she offered to the protesters present about the war. I came to the BHA meeting for a different purpose, but I wanted that discussion, too.”

“I came to support the BHA and to hear Senator Gillibrand,” said Judy Stanton, BHA’s former executive director. “The protesters failed themselves by silencing her and continuing to shout at the gentle clergywoman who tried to speak to them.”

Stanton added, “The Community Service Award recipients were a highlight.”

“A sincere thanks to the hundreds of neighbors who came to the meeting last night or watched via livestream — we all lead busy lives and I know it’s not easy to carve out a couple of hours at the start of the week,” Birnback told the Eagle. “I also want to thank Senator Gillibrand and her team for working so hard to help us put this event together and for her presence last night. 

“The BHA’s annual meeting has always been an open, public meeting,” Birnback said. “I acknowledge that for some in the audience, there was only one issue worthy of being on the agenda, but the nature of their approach made it impossible for the senator to address the community as planned.”

Birnback said BHA is working with Gillibrand’s team “to see if they can find another opportunity for her to share her thoughts on a number of issues we’d asked her to address, including infrastructure and the BQE, immigration and its impact, New York’s housing crisis, and how the federal government can support neighborhoods like ours to become Net Zero.

“Nevertheless, I’m glad we were able to cover a number of neighborhood-related questions raised during the lively Q & A, and of course to honor the Service Collective and the Brooklyn Public Library for their dedicated community service. The BHA is looking into additional ways we can bring the community together for discussions, gatherings, and events beyond our annual meeting — if anyone has ideas please get in touch!”