MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Nearly a thousand Queens residents rallied in Flushing on Nov. 16 to demand State Sen. John Liu reverse course and oppose billionaire Steve Cohen’s $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino proposal, saying the project threatens working-class immigrant communities and has moved forward without meaningful public input.

The protest, held outside the Queens Public Library on Main Street, drew residents from Flushing, Corona, Jackson Heights, College Point, Elmhurst and Jamaica, many of whom said they were stunned to see their own senator support legislation enabling Cohen to pursue a casino on 78 acres of public parkland surrounding Citi Field. The proposed development is one of several downstate casino applications currently under review in New York.

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