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SCOOP: Inside progressives’ plan to have ‘thousands’ protest vulnerable Republican’s town hall
EXCLUSIVE: Leaders of a progressive group in the New York City suburbs are looking to protest a front-line House Republican’s town hall on Sunday night — and Fox News Digital got an inside look at their plans.
Footage from the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee’s monthly meeting on Wednesday shows one of the group’s leaders discussing «potentially [having] thousands of people out front» of the event in West Nyack being held by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., this weekend.
«It is a long street, and we’re trying to fill the entire street, so everyone coming into the rally will see people there and recognize it’s not going to be all, like, sunshine and daisies,» organizer Pascale Jean-Gilles can be seen saying.
Jean-Gilles is also a local elected official in Lawler’s district, serving on the Nyack Village Board of Trustees and as deputy mayor.
SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is hosting a town hall on Sunday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
«We want to be able to push back on some of the rules that we feel like are really cutting and chilling our First Amendment rights, like saying that we can’t record it. It’s a public meeting,» Jean-Gilles said.
The demonstration outside Lawler’s town hall will be a joint-organized effort as well, Jean-Gilles said, with «local unions» and other groups.
And while she made clear that her group was only behind the demonstration outside Lawler’s rally, the local elected official appeared to endorse disruptions inside the event as well.
She said the rally rules made it «very clear you cannot whoop or shout or yell,» but added, «There will be things we’re not gonna want to hear from him, and we should be able to make it known.»
«I think that it looks poorly upon him if he’s kicking people out for just booing him, because that is, as people have seen through thousands of Supreme Court cases, that’s an acceptable form of dissent, and it’s covered under First Amendment rights,» Jean-Gilles said.
«Now, if people are shouting slurs and hate speech, that’s where I absolutely draw the line… that only feeds into his argument that we’re all crazy leftists and liberals, as opposed to people who live in this community.»
Jean-Gilles said she and other activists would also prepare suggested questions for town hall attendees.
«We are prepared, and this will be something we may hand out on the day of — a couple of us have been working on just questions that we think that folks will either want to ask, or maybe want to add their own personal twist to,» the official said. «So we’ll have those prepared for people, that just in case their number gets called, if you didn’t already think of one yourself, have a question that you can be prepared to ask.»
Pascale Jean-Gilles is a leader in the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee and a local elected official in Nyack, New York. (Nyack Village website)
Indivisible is a national left-wing organization whose local offshoots have been targeting Republican town halls for much of this year, encouraging activists to disrupt the events from both inside and outside.
An event listed by Indivisible on the organizing platform Mobilize is advertising a full-day event beginning in New York City and ending at Lawler’s town hall on Sunday.
«Republicans are planning to cut Medicaid, SNAP, and other vital programs to fund massive tax cuts for billionaires. Congress will be home for April Recess and must hear from us,» the event summary read.
«Join other activists to inform constituents in NY17/Tarrytown of this outrageous bill, urge them to phone Rep. Lawler to oppose it as well as attending Rep. Lawler’s Town Hall on April 27. We’ll be taking Metro North to Tarrytown.»
Democrats are poised to pour enormous time and resources into New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Lawler is widely seen as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans of the 2026 election cycle.
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When reached for comment on plans to disrupt the upcoming town hall, Lawler spokesman Ciro Riccardi told Fox News Digital, «It is deeply disappointing that far-left radical groups like Indivisible Rockland are planning to disrupt the upcoming town hall.»
«These actions undermine our democratic process by stifling civil debate, harming the very constituents who attend to discuss critical voter issues. We remain committed to fostering open, respectful dialogue and will take precautions to ensure a safe environment for all attendees,» Riccardi said.
Jean-Gilles referred Fox News Digital to the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee for comment.
When reached, the group’s steering committee said it had received «hundreds» of messages from constituents who could not get into Lawler’s town hall.
«In response, we decided to organize a peaceful demonstration outside the venue. This demonstration is meant to give voice to those who were excluded from the room but still want to be part of the democratic process. We want to make it clear that we are not organizing or endorsing any protest activity inside the town hall,» Indivisible Rockland said.
Lawler is among the most vulnerable Republicans of the coming election cycle. (Getty Images)
«It is also important to recognize the truth of the matter: This so-called town hall offers very limited opportunities for real public engagement. That is not right, it is not fair, and, in fact, it goes against the spirit of the Constitution.»
Regarding Jean-Gilles, specifically, the group noted she was hosting the event in a personal capacity unrelated to her government role.
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«Her comments during what was a private organizing meeting reflected the consensus of our group and not her official role or anything related to the governance of Nyack. She accurately underscored our values of free expression and clear boundaries against hate speech and harassment,» the group said.
«We hope Congressman Lawler does more than just see this demonstration. We hope he listens. The people showing up are his constituents. They are families, workers, students and neighbors who care deeply about this community and are demanding to be heard. This demonstration is not just a sign of civic involvement, it is a message: We are watching, we are engaged, and we expect better from those in power.»
House Of Representatives,House of Representatives Elections,House of Representatives Democrats,Politics
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Democrats are sticking to their skepticism about President Donald Trump’s performance on the economy, blasting the country’s «unaffordability» even as the reporting from January exceeded expectations on inflation and the job market.
January’s inflation report, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed just a 2.5% increase in prices over last year — a number that inches the economy closer to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%.
Similarly, the U.S. jobs report for last month showed that the economy added 130,000 jobs, beating out projections from forecasters like Reuters, Oxford University and Bloomberg.
Many predictions had estimated the U.S. would add just 50,000 to 75,000 in January.
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The Department of Labor shown in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
The reports are the latest in a series of reports during the second Trump administration that have defied Democrat predictions of persistent inflation and economic downturn amid the implementation of GOP policies that Democrats oppose, such as Trump’s tariffs and a more aggressive focus on domestic production.
But to Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee, the numbers don’t make good on the promises Trump made on the campaign trail.
«Donald Trump promised to lower costs ‘on day one.’ But one year into his second term, food continues to get more expensive, utility costs are soaring, and housing prices are rising,» Warren said in a statement on the inflation report.
«Trump is making life less affordable for American families – and instead of fixing the economic pain he’s caused, he says this is the Trump economy, and he is ‘very proud’ of it,» she said.
Among the policies Democrats believe are contributing to high prices, Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., the ranking member on the House Budget Committee, singled out Trump’s position on tariffs in his own statement about the price index.
«Donald Trump promised he would end inflation on ‘day one.’ Today is Day 389, and prices are higher than ever,» Boyle said.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a «Make America Wealthy Again» trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«Instead of keeping his promise, Trump has increased the costs Americans pay through his massive tariff taxes — the highest tariffs since the Great Depression. Ordinary Americans simply can’t afford Trump’s reckless economic policies,» he said.
The criticisms from Boyle and Warren aren’t new. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., blasted the administration on affordability even ahead of the reporting on inflation.
«Costs haven’t gone down in the United States of America. Costs have gone up under failed Republican policies. Housing costs are out of control. Grocery costs are out of control. Healthcare costs are out of control. Utility bills are out of control. And child care costs are out of control,» Jeffries said in a press conference last week.
Other Democrats believe the numbers themselves may come with an asterisk.
Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said he thinks the job report, in particular, doesn’t signal a strong market on its own.
«Beating expectations once doesn’t absolve the pain of the meager monthly average of 15,000 jobs created last year,» Neal said in a statement about the labor report.
«The fine print of this report, which shows significant downward revisions of Trump’s first year in office, casts strong doubt that people can rely on this administration to deliver for them,» Neal said, referring to other disappointing jobs reports from 2025.
‘PRICES ARE COMING DOWN’: TRUMP HAILS HIS ECONOMY, BLAMES BIDEN AS VOTERS SAY COSTS STILL STING
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., walks towards the House chamber on Capitol Hill on Dec. 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, believes Republicans are showing signs of nervousness about the economy.
She believes that Trump has already tacitly admitted that affordability remains an issue for Americans.
«Trump called this affordability crisis a ‘hoax,’ but he knows it’s real and now wants to cap credit card interest rates at 10%,» Waters said, referring to an idea floated by Trump earlier this year to limit the amount banks can charge borrowers.
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«Well, President Trump, I’m pleased to know if you’re listening, we don’t agree on much of anything, but we do on this,» Waters said.
Democrats contacted by Fox News Digital did not address whether the numbers from the January reporting indicated the country was on the right track, despite their other outstanding concerns.
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French police raided the headquarters of the Arab World Institute (AWI) on Monday as part of its investigation into a former government official’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Authorities searched the Paris headquarters along with several other locations, according to the national financial prosecutor. The investigators were searching for documents relating to ex-culture minister Jack Lang, who served as the AWI’s head until his resignation last month. AWI is a part of France’s foreign ministry.
Both Jack and Caroline Lang have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or receiving financial benefits from Epstein. Their lawyer, Laurent Merlet, told French broadcaster BFMTV this month that «there was no movement of funds.»
Fallout from the release of millions of new documents related to Epstein has rippled through Europe. On Saturday, Paris prosecutors set up a dedicated team to review the files, coordinating with the financial prosecutor and national police.
PRINCE WILLIAM, PRINCESS CATHERINE ‘DEEPLY CONCERNED’ BY EPSTEIN FILES REVELATIONS, PALACE SAYS
French police officers patrol in front of the Arab World Institute in Paris on Feb. 16, 2026. (Charlotte Siemon/AFP via Getty Images)
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a letter on Saturday that «all» Epstein files have now been released, consistent with Section 3 of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
«In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and as described in various Department submissions to the courts of the Southern District of New York assigned to the Epstein and Maxwell prosecutions and related orders, the Department released all ‘records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the possession of the Department’ that ‘relate to’ any of nine different categories,» the letter read.
The letter includes a list of more than 300 high-profile names, including President Donald Trump, Barack and Michelle Obama, Prince Harry, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Kurt Cobain, Mark Zuckerberg and Bruce Springsteen.
Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill and takes questions from Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram ahead of a House hearing. (Tom Williams)
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In accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the list of names includes «all persons where (1) they are or were a government official or politically exposed person and (2) their name appears in the files released under the Act at least once,» the letter said, adding that the names appear in a «wide variety of contexts.»
Some of the names mentioned had «extensive direct email contact with Epstein or Maxwell» while others were mentioned «in a portion of a document (including press reporting) that on its face is unrelated to the Epstein and Maxwell matters,» the letter said.
The Department of Justice released a trove of Epstein documents on Dec. 19 following President Trump’s signature on the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
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The document outlines the broad range of Epstein-related materials, including records concerning Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell; references to individuals—up to and including government officials—connected to Epstein’s activities; and documents tied to civil settlements and legal resolutions such as immunity deals, plea agreements, non-prosecution agreements and sealed arrangements.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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