New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo flaked on a planned visit to a senior center as protesters gathered outside to confront him about his deadly decision as governor to send COVID-19 patients to nursing homes.
Over two dozen protesters had gathered at the Peter Cardella Senior Citizens Center in Ridgewood with signs calling for justice for his victims.
protesters showed up to tell andrew #cuomo we didn’t forget how you sent our grandparents back to overcrowded nursing homes while the hospital ship and javits center was empty. #nomascuomopic.twitter.com/lLiZFfOMOv https://t.co/557EG5rDsE
— Flushing Tenants Alliance (@flushingtenant) May 17, 2025
Thousands of seniors were infected and died after being housed with the patients.
“I’m still trying to process and come to terms with how to prevent that [a pandemic] from happening again, but I’m pretty dismayed that Andrew Cuomo has the gall to run for mayor,” Dr. Damien Archbold, an anesthesiologist at Elmhurst Hospital, told The New York Post.
“I have this moral indignation that Cuomo’s running for mayor of New York City after he sold out the city.”
Another sign at the protest read, “Our Families’ Losses are Not Politically Motivated.”
The group reportedly rushed to the center at the last minute as soon as the campaign stop was announced.
We got word that Andrew Cuomo was staging a photo op at the Peter Cardella Senior Center.
When he found out grieving families and medical professionals were there to tell the attendees how Cuomo caused the deaths of thousands of seniors, he cancelled.
Coward can’t face us! pic.twitter.com/69yHQK04nP
— VoicesForSeniors (@Voices4Seniors) May 16, 2025
At least one bystander ended up joining the protest, according to the Post report.
The campaign claimed that Cuomo had cancelled the event “days ago.”
“We were never confirmed for that senior center and it was our understanding they knew that as of this past Wednesday, but we look forward to visiting it as Andrew Cuomo continues to meet voters and discuss his vision for a safer and more affordable New York City,” said campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi.
Two workers at the senior center countered the campaign’s claims, saying the event was cancelled on Friday morning.
One of the protesters, Daniel Arbeeny, lost four members of his family in a single week.
Cuomo is currently the favorite for the Democrat nomination.
