Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists Occupy White Plains Park

WHITE PLAINS, NY — The Lower Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America have created an "autonomous zone" in White Plains, but they may not be there much longer.

They have occupied a site between Robertson and Chatteron avenues. Organizers announced on Instagram Wednesday afternoon that police have told them to leave or be arrested for trespassing.

An autonomous zone is a protest tactic popping up in cities across the United States, including Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Manhattan.

The group marched in White Plains on Independence Day. Among the issues to which they were calling attention:

• Asking Mayor Roach and the White Plains City Council to divest funds from the White Plains Police Department, specifically the million dollar increase to police patrol, and invest in those hit hardest by COVID-19 by canceling rent in default, invest in the Department of Public Works, and build a community garden in Battle Hill.
• The death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. In 2011, the 68-year-old Black veteran was killed by White Plains PD officer Anthony Carelli during an altercation with police after his LifeAlert was set off. Organizers said the White Plains police department should have held the involved officers Carelli, Steve Hart, Steven Demchuk, Keith Martin, Stephen Fotterell, and Maurice Love accountable. "We stand with the Chamberlain family in demanding that NY State Attorney General Letitia James reopen Kenneth Chamberlain Sr’s case."
• With the repeal of 50-a allowing police disciplinary records to be made public, getting results for their Freedom of Information Law request for Love's record.

The Lower Hudson Valley DSA is a local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America representing Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties.