A wave of outrage swept through Brooklyn on Sunday evening as protesters blocked construction trucks and gathered en masse at the site of a proposed homeless shelter. The demonstration came on the heels of rumors suggesting construction could commence as soon as Monday morning.
Hundreds of demonstrators filled the streets of Bensonhurst, urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani to abandon the city’s long-standing plan to build a shelter for 150 men at the intersection of 86th Street and 25th Avenue.
The scene was tense as about 100 NYPD officers, some equipped with riot gear, attempted to manage the situation. Residents had toppled barricades and encircled a container truck near the construction site following unverified claims that work would start the next day.
In a dramatic moment, a protester positioned himself behind the tires of a reversing container truck, which was attempting to enter the site where several construction vehicles, including dump trucks, were assembled.
“We’re here to protest this homeless shelter, which poses a danger to the neighborhood,” said Kevin Zhang, 40, speaking to The Post. “We’ll remain here all night, return tomorrow night, and continue coming back until the mayor halts construction.”
Zhang expressed concern over the location, stating, “This is a major thoroughfare used daily by mothers, children, and the elderly. The subway is right here. Shelters housing potentially dangerous individuals should be in secluded areas, not at the heart of critical transportation hubs.”
Locals said they fear the men’s shelter, which is near several senior housing complexes, could become a magnet for drugs, crime and other trouble.
Protests against the planned facility in the predominantly Asian District 43 have been ongoing since the city first notified the community about plans for the homeless shelter in November 2023.
During one heated protest in July 2024, Councilwoman Susan Zhuang (D-43) was arrested for allegedly biting a deputy NYPD chief during a scream-filled clash with cops. The charges were later dropped.
The Department of Social Services told New12 earlier this month that the department had sent a message stating that Mamdani’s administration intends to restart the proposed project, but that construction had not yet begun and the project was a long way from completion.
The shelter is still planned to open in late 2027, the agency added.
The Department of Social Services did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the construction timeline.
“Mamdani thinks he can put homeless shelters in any neighborhood he wants because he wants the homeless to feel like they are at home, because maybe being around families will rehabilitate them,” said protestor Alex Lin.
“He could put shelters anywhere in the city, but he chooses to put them right in the middle of our neighborhood,” Lin, 35, added.
“He doesn’t care about the danger that poses to us. Look at all the cops that showed up tonight. Will the cops show up when some homeless drug addict lays his hands on a child?”
