NYC's effort to shut down garden that forced members to pledge ‘solidarity' with Palestine hits roadblock
Judge Hasa Kingo on Wednesday blocked the city's efforts to revoke the group's license to run a community garden at the site, allowing it to keep operating — for now, court records show.
The former Sunset Community Garden's leadership had alienated several Jewish Ridgewood residents with 10 'community agreements' — which included a commitment to interrupt 'violent behavior or rhetoric that expresses all forms of hate' — and a special section of the green space it labeled 'Poppies for Palestine.'
The pledge list breached Parks Department guidelines, the city said when revoking the group's license on May 5.
Garden leadership had been given until June 6 to vacate the land on Onderdonk and Willoughby avenues in Ridgewood.
Ridgewood resident Sara Schraeter-Mowers called Kingo 'ludicrous' for even entertaining the group's request to keep the garden up and running.
The garden has since been renamed Jardin de Santa Cecilia, in honor of Latina trans advocate Cecilia Gentili, the group said in a news release calling the judge's decision 'a crucial legal victory' and 'a lifeline for our community.'
The group accused the city of trying to 'erase a tribute' it erected last year to Gentili and 'punish our righteous solidarity with Palestinians facing genocide, and all oppressed peoples.'
'Pride is a riot they can't silence and this garden is a home they can't take away from us,' the group said in its statement.
The case will be back before a judge next month.
'We hope to see the judge make this ruling permanent, preserving the garden as a sanctuary for queer, transgender, black, indigenous, and people of color communities,' the garden leadership said in a statement.
It 'is unfortunate that this garden group continues to disregard the same rules upheld by every GreenThumb community garden, despite our repeated efforts to work with them,' the Parks Department said in a statement.
'Our goal has always been to ensure that GreenThumb community gardens are managed responsibly and remain open and welcoming for everyone, regardless of their background.'
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