Days after New York City Fire Department officials vowed to “hunt down” the hecklers who razzed New York state Attorney General Letitia James, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh heard from protesters what they think of her leadership.
As Kavanagh and others marched in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, hecklers took advantage of the opportunity.
One sign had Kavanagh’s face on the body of a donkey, with a caption reading, “Pin the tail on the jackass,” according to a video posted on X.
As FDNY Commissioner, Laura Kavanagh, marches in NYs St Pats parade, people yell ‘you suck!’ 😂
She’s great friends w DA Letitia James. pic.twitter.com/l1S4CTSygD
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) March 16, 2024
“You suck,” the protester holding the sign yelled at Kavanagh as she marched past Trump Tower on 5th Avenue on Saturday.
“Firefighters are the hunters,” he screamed.
Some of the protesters cheered on behalf of former President Donald Trump, while some officials and others in the parade marched or shook hands with the protesters, according to the New York Post.
FDNY members hit the spotlight on March 7, when during an appearance by James, they let loose with a chorus of boos and then serenaded the arch-enemy of Trump by calling out his name.
Cheering for Trump can get you fired in NYC. FDNY employees are required to cheer for the state’s Democrat AG Letitia James. pic.twitter.com/S28egGwTTD
— @amuse (@amuse) March 10, 2024
FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens followed up the incident by saying the FDNY’s Bureau of Investigation and Trials “is investigating this, so they will figure out who the members are” who booed James.
“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,” he wrote.
Amid criticism for the apparent assault on the First Amendment, Hodgens said using “hunt” was “a poor choice of words.”
Fire FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh who is hunting down NY Fire fighters that booed and chanted Trump while AG Letitia James was at an event. pic.twitter.com/vcw8JuBtm6
— Futurist (@americasgreat) March 10, 2024
“It was not meant to be taken literally and was never uttered by anyone on the executive staff,” he wrote. “Specifically, there was not, and is not, an investigation into members booing.”
Should Kavanagh resign?
Hodgens said “allegations of other violations of department regulations” were the issue, and not booing.
However, to date, FDNY officials have not said what those violations were.
Kavanagh dug a further hole for herself in the eyes of some firefighters by apologizing to the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, where the booing took place, according to the New York Post.
“I would say this is a waste of [Kavanagh’s] time but I don’t know what else she does. The commissioner made this political by inviting a politician to speak,” the Post quoted what it said was a Queens firefighter it did not name.
“I wasn’t there but if I was I would have yelled out Trump’s name because that is my constitutional freedom of speech. I don’t need the commissioner to apologize for my American rights,” a Brooklyn firefighter the Post also did not name said.
