BAY RIDGE — U.S. Rep. Max Rose is being unfair to his constituents by not supporting the idea of impeaching President Donald Trump, according to demonstrators who held a protest rally on the sidewalk outside the Democratic lawmaker’s Bay Ridge office on Monday.
“Rose’s refusal to back impeachment emboldens Trump,” said Stephen Pickering, an organizer for the group Fight Back Bay Ridge and the main speaker at the rally outside Rose’s office on Third Avenue.
“Max Rose has a responsibility to uphold his constitutional duty,” Pickering added.
Rose, who won his Southwest Brooklyn-Staten Island congressional seat in 2018 and has earned a reputation as a centrist willing to work across the aisle on certain issues, has steadfastly refused to back impeachment.
To date, 131 House members have come out in support of opening impeachment hearings.
“Hey Max Rose, this is serious!” Pickering said.
Monday’s rally was organized by Fight Back Bay Ridge and other grassroots groups like Indivisible Nation BK, Empire State Indivisible and By the People.
Protesters held up signs reading, “Max, support an impeachment inquiry now,” and “The world is watching what we do!” To emphasize the latter point, one demonstrator displayed a sign made to look like a human eye.
At Pickering’s urging, demonstrators read aloud portions of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report as well as sections of Mueller’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. In the report, Mueller concluded that he could not exonerate Trump of wrongdoing on the question of obstruction of justice.
The protesters also re-enacted the oath of office Rose took when he was elected to Congress to drive home their contention that he is failing to uphold his oath.
“Max Rose is supposed to be a check on Trump’s power, along with the rest of the House Democratic Caucus,” said Liat Olenick, co-president of Indivisible Nation BK. She pointed out that Rose won his House seat last year with a great deal of support from energetic young volunteers who hit the campaign trail for him.
“If he wants help from the grassroots in 2020, he has to do more than let Trump trample all over democracy,” Olenick said from the podium.
Protester Rachel Posner said she was taking part in the demonstration because Rose “needs to be convinced.”
Posner also criticized the congressmember for what she said was his failure to educate the public on exactly what impeachment is.
“It’s his job to educate his constituents. Impeachment is opening an inquiry. It is a process in which you ask questions. If you don’t ask questions and get information, you can’t get to the truth,” Posner told the Home Reporter.
“No one should be afraid of the truth,” she added.
A spokesperson for Rose said the lawmaker stands firm, despite the protest outside his office.
“Congressman Rose always values feedback from all constituents but does not support impeachment at this time,” the spokesperson told the Home Reporter in an email.
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