Photo: QueensPost
July 31, 2012 By Christian Murray
Sunnyside got a visit from supporters of the Lyndon LaRouche political movement who organized in front of the 44th Street Post Office last week to protest the US banking system.
John Scialdone and Jeff Rebello handed out literature for the radical group and engaged pedestrians in discussions ranging from the LIBOR scandal, Glass-Steagall Act and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. The group also discussed the use of military force without consent from Congress.
The real attention getter was a large poster calling for the impeachment of President Obama as well as a picture comparing Obama with a Hitler Mustache.
“We’ve had all kinds of responses, nothing bad,” Scialdone said. “We’re just sharing information trying to re-establish the separation between investment banking and deposit-taking.” Rebello added that “the financial system is disintegrating.”
Lyndon LaRouche, the leader of the movement, is a controversial figure who ran for President eight times between 1976 and 2004. Supporters of LaRouche call him a political leader in the tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, commentators for The Washington Post and The New York Times have described him as a conspiracy theorist and a political extremist.
While Scialdone and Rebello said they experienced no problems presenting the views of LaRouche’s political action committee, Post Office Supervisor Danielle said that this is not always the case. “These guys [other LaRouche reps] come six times a year and we’ve had to call the NYPD several times because the arguments have gotten out of hand. The policemen calm the situation down, but that’s about all they can do.”
“I found them to be quite obnoxious,” said Carol of Forest Hills, who was in her old neighborhood to clear her P.O. Box. “I was surprised at their aggressive nature. It raises my blood pressure.” Passing motorist Allan shook his head at the picture of Obama with a Hitler mustache and said: “It’s a democratic state; they can do what they want, right?”
