"NO WAREHOUSING OF HUMANS", "JUSTICE FOR HOPE" CHANTED BY HUNDREDS AT CHESTER RALLY

If you thought Chester’s generally right-leaning residents were not the type of people likely to hold protests or rallies, you might be wrong. They might not usually be big on demonstrations, but that changed when they heard that a document leak talked about the possible warehousing of up to 1,500 detainees in the former PEP Boys gigantic warehouse in Chester Industrial Park. This would require an application to the Village’s ZBA for a variance to its code. There are other issues related to the Floodplain Management restrictions in that section of the IP. And the part of the leak that referred to it being a business plan like Amazon Prime, shipping merchandise to expedite their processing, well, for these people that clearly “crossed the line”. The people came to make sure that the Village Board knew which way residents wanted them to vote if a Variance Application does, in fact, come.

LaRoe Rd. at 6:30 pm, a conglomeration of Anti-Detainee-Warehousing Rally attendees trying to find a place to park and evening commuters.

Hundreds of residents, estimates coming in at over 700, many of them walking from homes in the area while others came from farther areas in New York State. They came down side streets, they walked along LaRoe Road, Pond Road and Kings Highway. Many, hearing that the roads were creeping along bumper to bumper had friends or family carpool and drop them off near the Senior Center entrance where a traffic facilitator assisted for safety.

Villagers are looking to be proactive, since no official application has been received, only presence of Chester on list. But that's enough for them. Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge pointed out that it's in an Industrial Park and was made for people to WORK in. A councilman came all the way from Poughkeepsie urging people to stay alert, and civil rights attorney Michael Sussman called it a plan for a "Concentration Camp".

The line to enter Chester Village Board's Meeting was prohibitively long and the Senior Center already packed to capacity. Remaining Attendees on the line were told they could speak to officials after the meeting.

The Village staff and Rally organizers had a handful of friendly helpers guiding people as they approached and telling them,”The Rally is in the field behind the Senior Center. If you are from Chester you can go in the line by the front door. Thank you for coming”. It was clearly already packed in the Senior Center building and the line was prohibitively long, so they added that anyone who could not get in would have a chance to speak to the officials afterward. 

Chester residents, hoping to attend a Village Board Meeting to insist on No Variance for potential ICE Detention

Even if you are not a big fan of political rallies, it was all very cordial and well done.  About 5 Chester police officers stood quietly near the front entrance, the department headquarters being right next door.

"Stop illegal ICE activities"

Protesting $20B spent on Deportationn during 2025

Walking behind the building you could see maybe  1/3 or 1/4 of the attendees, with them so tightly packed together that in the cold and dark it was impossible to even see how large the group was.

The first 30 ft. of a massive Rally at Chester's Senior Center

The weather, dipping into the 20's, did not dampen the mood of the crowd which was listening to a speaker who tossed out questions and chant phrases for the them to repeat, beginning with, “Justice for Good” and continuing with “People are not products”, "No warehousing people here", and “Defund Ice” 

Those of us who left after about an hour, still negotiating a lot of traffic, passed several dozen more local residents making their way toward the Senior Center to join the crowd.