New York Times
By Nick Corasanti
October 12, 2015
They
came in droves, pounding drum lines, carrying signs promising “No
Contract, No Peace,” chanting in Spanish and English, pressing ever
closer to an elevated platform
just outside the Trump International Hotel here.
But
as a microphone clicked on and their energy reached fever pitch, their
primary instructions were not to whoop a booming rally cry, but to back
up about 20 feet to
make room for an unannounced and unknown special guest.
So
the sea of workers clad in the Culinary Workers Union crimson inched
backward, murmuring a bit before returning to a frenzy over the course
of several speeches until
the guest, Hillary Rodham Clinton, clad in similar colors, finally
arrived.
She
spoke for less than five minutes, but she was forceful and energized,
her voice sometimes so loud that the microphone’s feedback clipped out
as she brought the crowd
to its most fervent pitch with a poignant word: Trump.
“You
have a right to safe working conditions, you have a right to a living
wage, and you have to say yes to all of that and you have to say no to
efforts to prevent you
from organizing,” Mrs. Clinton told the crowd, “and that means saying
no to Donald Trump.”
The
crowd had gathered to show support for the local union’s lobbying
effort to organize at the hotel, but the rally quickly became an
indictment of Donald J. Trump’s
presidential campaign, and Mrs. Clinton was prepared to join.
“You
know, some people think Mr. Trump is entertaining,” Mrs. Clinton said,
her speech framed by the large “TRUMP” emblazoned on the hotel behind
her. “But I don’t think
it’s entertaining when somebody insults immigrants, insults women. That
is just unacceptable behavior.”
Mrs.
Clinton declared “we’re here together in solidarity to organize,” both a
promise of her commitment to labor and perhaps a plea to one of the
most powerful unions
in Nevada. The Culinary Workers Union has some 55,000 members, and they
have yet to endorse a candidate.
Despite
fighting for that eventual endorsement, Mrs. Clinton refrained from
making any remarks about the candidates she will be facing off against
in the debate on Tuesday
night. Instead, as she has throughout most of her campaign, she
directed her criticisms at Republicans, this time Mr. Trump.
Senator
Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Mrs. Clinton’s closest challenger for the
Democratic nomination, did not attend the rally, but some in the crowd
chanted “Bernie! Bernie!”
when a car passed by in response to its occupants shouting his name.
But Mrs. Clinton was unfazed as she honed her attack on Mr. Trump.
“We
also want to send a message to Mr. Trump that if you are going to run
for president, then you should represent all the people of the United
States, and that includes
hard working people,” she said. “You should not stand in the way of the
right to organize because that’s what built the middle class of
America.”
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