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New York State Senator Rachel May apologized Tuesday for images circulating on social media showing her holding a banner at a climate change rally.

The sign depicted a plane labeled “CLIMATE CHANGE” above a New York City skyline prominently featuring the twin towers. The plane was facing the two buildings. Text at the bottom of the banner read “WAKE UP AMERICA / 2050 IS TOO LATE.”

May appeared at the event held by NY Renews, a climate justice advocacy group, in support of $15 billion in state funding to fight climate change, with fellow state Sen. Robert Jackson, who is also in the photo.

I attended the rally today to support a significant investment in climate change in the state budget. I posed for numerous photos with activists, and did not see the content of the sign.

— Dr. Rachel May (@SRachelMay) March 8, 2022

May said in a tweet Tuesday she did not see the content of the sign before posing with activists, calling the image “unacceptable.” A spokesperson for May said she did not know who made the banner, according to syracuse.com.

“The imagery on the banner is unacceptable and I would never endorse such a cynical use of our state’s history to score cheap points,” a subsequent tweet by May read. “I apologize sincerely to New Yorkers and call upon the organizers to similarly condemn this message.”

Some of May’s political opponents have decried the decision.

State Sen. Rob Ortt called the banner offensive and accused May of using “a horrific attack on our nation to advance their political agenda,” syracuse.com reported. Fanny Villarreal, May’s Republican challenger in November’s election, demanded May’s resignation. May was first elected to the state senate in 2018.

“To use that (banner) to promote their agenda, I just can’t believe it,” Villarreal told syracuse.com.

Published on March 9, 2022 at 12:38 am

Contact Richard: rcperrin@syr.edu | @richardperrins2