One Herald
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, November 7, 2015, 9:32 PM
Patrick Sison/AP
Sasha Murphy leads demonstrators in a chant during a protest against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s hosting “Saturday Night Live” at Rockefeller Center on Saturday.
In a single, scorching chant, roughly 200 people protesting Donald Trump’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” captured their anger.
“Live from New York…A racist piece of s—,” the demonstrators hollered outside Rockefeller Center Saturday.
The demonstrators, many of them wearing costumes and carrying anti-Trump signs, marched to 30 Rock hours before the Donald was slated to host the hit NBC show.
The network has been under fire for weeks for providing a platform to the GOP presidential candidate known for his inflammatory rhetoric on illegal immigration.
“There’s nothing funny about racism,” said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
“This gentleman has said some very negative, racist things about the Latino community. We believe he’s a bigot. He’s racist…There’s no place for somebody like that on ‘Saturday Night Live.’”
John Locher/AP
Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and other inflammatory comments has made him a lightning rod as he vies for GOP nomination.
Juan Gonzalez, a cook from Queens, showed up wearing a Mexican flag poncho and sombrero — and carrying a sign that featured Trump shaped like a piñata.
“He attacked the Mexican community, so I’m here to make sure he says, ‘I’m sorry,’” said Gonzalez, 47, who became a naturalized citizen after moving to the U.S. in 1982 at age 14.
“I’m not a criminal. I’m not a rapist. I’m not a drug dealer. I work for a living.”
Trump being Trump, controversy swirled around his upcoming “SNL” appearance.
A coalition of advocacy groups had called on NBC to dump him because of his incendiary remarks toward undocumented immigrants.
Aaron Showalter/for New York Daily News
More than 200 protested Trump’s appearance on NBC comedy show on Saturday.
Enlarge Aaron Showalter/for New York Daily News
The protesters marched from Trump Tower to Rockefeller Center, where “Saturday Night Live” is performed.
Protesters voice opposition to Donald Trump’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”
But the network, which had previously ended its “business relationship” with Trump over his remarks on Mexican immigrants, held firm in spite of the mounting pressure.
In June, NBC announced it will no longer air the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants after Trump trashed Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and drug pushers.
After arriving at the “SNL” set Saturday, Trump fired off a snarky tweet making a glancing reference to the protesters gathered outside.
“I am at the Saturday Night Live Studio – electricity all over the place,” Trump tweeted. “We will be doing a ‘tweeting’ skit, so stay tuned!”
