New York City firefighters are facing administrative punishment after booing Democrat Attorney General Letitia James during a promotion ceremony last week.
James’ speech on Thursday was drowned out after members of the New York Fire Department (FDNY) delivered boos and chants supporting former President Trump.
This is how the Democrat activist Attorney General Letitia James, who is going after Donald Trump in New York, was greeted by the FDNY.
With “Trump” chants and boos.
The political lawfare will backfire..
— ALX (@alx) March 7, 2024
“Come on, we’re in a house of God…simmer down,” James scolded them.
BREAKING: AG Letitia James’s speech to FDNY firefighters drowned out by pro-Trump chants pic.twitter.com/kQupIvlMvN
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 7, 2024
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh responded to the incident by sending an email vowing to “hunt down” all those involved in the jeering, announcing that the Bureau of Investigation and Trials (BITS) will investigate the matter.
“BITS is investigating this so they will figure out who the members are. I recommend they come forward. I have been told by the Commissioner It will be better for them if they come forward and we don’t have to hunt them down,” the email reads.
After NY Firefighters exercised their 1st Amdt right to protest corrupt city leaders, a letter was sent saying anyone who booed Letitia James will be sent to HQ for re-“education”
NYC has become a Marxist hellhole where politics are prosecuted & anyone objecting gets in trouble https://t.co/oY859lGnFW pic.twitter.com/qIoKL8LSdV
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) March 9, 2024
“The DC’s shall direct the Captain of the Company to make a list of those that come forward and send it directly to John and Kevin in Operations. I realize members might not come forward but they should know that there is clear video of the entire incident and they will be contacted by BITS if they don’t,” it added.
Internal communications from firefighter unions, including the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA), circulated memos condemning the stunt, the New York Post reported.
The memo reads:
- I’m here to address the behavior of firefighters that attended Thursday’s promotion.
- The behavior we saw and heard was grossly inappropriate
- Protesting, heckling, or booing anyone at a ceremony is simply unacceptable.
- This was a promotion ceremony to honor members who made sacrifices and worked hard to achieve this day. They had close family and friends there to celebrate with them.
- Absolutely no one should have been subjected to what happened based on the political beliefs of some members.
- It was disrespectful to the speakers, to the promoted members and their families
- This was not a political event and Letitia James was not there to give a political speech.
- She was there to support her friend and our new chaplain Pamela Holmes. Pamela invited her friend to attend the ceremony.
- Members have a right to political beliefs. But you don’t have a right to make a job related ceremony political in nature.
- When you’re not on duty, feel however you want about politicians. Vote. Protest. That’s your right. But don’t do it on the job’s time, on other members’ time, or on their families’ time. Do it on your own time.
- Our actions at the promotion damaged the relationship with the attorney general and the Christian Cultural Center. We may lose that venue now.
- Politics aside, the attorney general is a friend to the UFA and UFOA and a supporter of our Department. She has come to the hospital on more than one occasion to support us when one of our members is seriously injured or died.
- These actions reflected very poorly upon us and diminished the dignity of the occasion.
- Instead of news reports talking about the accomplishments of our members, it talked about the politics and our poor behavior.
- Everyone must be better. Do the right thing. Even if you aren’t the one acting poorly, if you see a fellow firefighter act in this manner, STOP IT.
- Act in a manner befitting of the uniform that you wear. Nothing less should be tolerated.
The memo goes on to say that the guilty parties will be “educated” over their behavior:
Next steps:
- Have DC visit each firehouse that had a member promoted
- Relay bullet point message
- They should understand that BITS is gathering video and identifying members that brought discredit and to the Department
- We want the members to come forward. They will come to HQ to be educated why their behavior is unacceptable.
One FDNY retiree blasted the department’s heavy-handed response.
“It was a political stunt for the city to have the AG there,” the retired firefighter said. “When it backfired, they sent their fascist pit bulls after guys for exercising their First Amendment rights. Most were off-duty and not in FDNY uniform.”
Constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz likewise criticized the FDNY for vowing to hunt down firefighters who were exercising their First Amendment right.
“Firefighters have an absolute constitutional right to boo the attorney general, and the government has no power to punish them for it,” he told the Post. “So efforts to get the names of the booers is an effort by the government to chill free speech and is unconstitutional.”
James has become a political lightning rod over her witch hunt against Trump, where he was ordered to pay $454 million in her civil fraud case against him within one month.