Brooklyn homeless shelter protesters quadruple

The number of angry protesters fighting the construction of a homeless shelter in southern Brooklyn has quadrupled since the arrest of City Council member Susan Zhuang.

Nearly 200 people gathered outside the site of the proposed 150-person men’s shelter in Bensonhurst, chanting their objection to the beat of deafening drums.

“We are very angry and frustrated with Mayor Eric Adams, he treats us like he doesn’t care about our community,” You Chan Li, 78, told the Post.

Zhuang was arrested during a rally of less than 50 people last month – after they learned of the city’s start on the site.

She was slapped with multiple charges, including resisting arrest and assault, and was accused of biting a police officer during a violent altercation at the July 17 protest.

The incident spurred the predominantly Asian 43rd District, which has since gathered under the steps of the D-line subway station on 25th Avenue from 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at night.

“We got thousands of signatures that we gave to the city to stop the building of the homeless shelter,” Tony Yang, 19, told the Post about handwritten petitions signed and delivered to city hall in November.

“He ignored thousands of people, he doesn’t care. It has been 31 days and we are still protesting without results.”

An online petition started by the community also saw more than 32,000 people sign up against the shelter.

Many of the protesters are calling on Adams to look for alternatives to shelter and to follow through on his promises for affordable housing and jobs.

They claim the shelter was built without their consent and also poses a public safety issue that will open the door to violence, crime and Asian hatred.

“One of the elderly ladies in our community was spat on by a homeless person when she couldn’t answer them in English,” one protester, who did not want to be named, told the Post.

A spokesman for the city’s Department of Social Services said the city first notified the community in November 2023.

Since her arrest, Zhuang has kept her distance from the protest site, but told the Post she understands her community’s frustrations.

“My arrest was a trigger,” she admitted.

“We’re not a violent community, we’re not troublemakers, on the news every day there’s a murder here, a murder there and people are worried and they’re angry.”

Mayor Eric Adams spoke with Zhuang on July 19, just days after the incident, in what Zhuang described as a “very good conversation” — but did not go into specifics.

“I think the mayor has been willing to listen, but I don’t know how much he can do to change things,” she said.

“I told him my position, which is that I’m the council member for District 43 and my priority is the community.”

The Post reached out to the city for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

A City Hall spokesperson previously told the Post that the Adams administration is “committed to building this much-needed shelter.”

The site has active demolition permits issued by the Department of Buildings to demolish the existing building.