Anti-Trump rally held near hate-crime killing scene

Protesters rallied in Patchogue Monday in opposition to an upcoming visit by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Suffolk GOP fundraiser later this week. In attendance was Joselo Lucero,

News 12 Staff

•

Apr 12, 2016, 1:22 AM

•

Updated 3,083 days ago

Protesters rallied in Patchogue Monday in opposition to an upcoming visit by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Suffolk GOP fundraiser later this week.

In attendance was Joselo Lucero, the brother of Marcelo Lucero, the Ecuadorian immigrant who was fatally stabbed in the area in a 2008 hate crime attack.

Activists joined Rev. Allen Ramirez to demonstrate against Trump at the Patchogue LIRR station.

The Republican fundraiser will be held Thursday at The Emporium, which is about a four-minute walk from the scene of the slaying.

Critics say Trump's anti-immigrant stance desecrates the memory of Lucero. Trump has targeted illegal immigration for much of his campaign.

"This is terrible," Joselo Lucero said during the rally, describing Trump's anti-immigrant platform as an insult to the Patchogue community. "This is the wrong message."

Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman John Jay LaValle says the event will go on as planned, and Trump will speak.

Demonstrators plan to continue their protests through the week and during the event, they say.

Some Long Islanders say they won't mind Trump's presence.

"I think any time that we can bring an important political person like this into the neighborhood and allow people to come and see him in person is important," says Broney Gadman, of Coram.