A Parade-Like Close of Campaign

By Lennin Reyes

While American presidential candidates wrap up their election campaigns with speeches and television appearances, their Dominican counterparts do the same by having hundreds of cars and thousands of supporters march through the streets of upper Manhattan for the close of campaign for Dominican presidential hopefuls Hipólito Mejía and Danilo Medina.

On Sunday, May 6, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) was the first to march. Gathering at 135th Street and Broadway in West Harlem, flags with Llegó Papá adorned the 300-plus participating cars, who blasted merengues in support of Mejía. PRD members say that no survey was needed in order to prove the support to their party. “Look at the turnout here,” PRD youth coordinator Digna Duverge said. “And we did it with little to no money!”

While the PRD’s march featured thousands of supporters, the celebration was interrupted by police, who proceeded to divide the thousands of supporters at 193rd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights before reaching the intended destination of 207th Street and 10th Avenue in Inwood. “Police might’ve broken them up, but they won’t do that to us next week,” some PLD supporters shouted at the scene of the division.

They were right, as the PLD was able to complete the march on May 12, albeit with police escorts. Unlike their counterparts, they were unable to use any cars, with the exception of music-blasting trucks. “We might not have cars, but we have better energy,” PLD candidate for diputada de ultramar (congresswoman for Dominicans in the exterior) Ybeth Rodriguez said. “We don’t need any honking horns to show our support to Danilo.”

While Dominicans expected this type of scene, those from other groups were surprised at the political festivities. “Until I was told this was for the Dominican elections, I thought it was a carnival or a parade,” Lehman student and Washington Heights resident Assanatti Ngoma Di Malonda, 22, who is of French descent, said.

Others were happy to see people excited to speak their minds about politics. “It’s a celebration of democracy,” Guy Ayad, 33, who moved to Manhattan from his native Israel two years ago, said. “I get excited at seeing people express themselves over supporting a candidate for the presidency.” Both parties hope that the support translates to victory for their respective candidate come the May 20 elections.