"You can't talk about how great our city is and then defund all the things that makes New York City great," Justin Brannan, chair of the Committee on Finance, told the crowd at a rally at City Hall on Monday.
"Culture is the fabric of New York City, and we're going to fight like heck until we do."
New York City has cut $53 million from the budgets of hundreds of arts and culture organizations over the last few months, forcing layoffs, reduced hours, and fewer shows and classes, the New York Times reports.
"The health of our cultural institutions are directly tied to the health of our city, and we cannot afford to cut back on our investments that provide New Yorkers with economic and educational opportunities," speaker Adrienne Adams said at the rally, which was livestreamed here.
"Arts and culture define New York City, and support for cultural institutions and community-based organization is more important than ever as we work together to build a stronger, safer, and more vibrant city," Brannan said.
The New York City Council is pushing for the restoration of cuts to arts and culture funding, the New York Daily News reports.
"The mayor's cuts have pushed many organizations' budgets into deficits, forcing them to cut staff
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When Hannah Davis traveled to China to teach English, she noticed how Chinese workers and farmers were often sporting olive green army-style shoes. Those shoes served as her inspiration to create her own social enterprise, Bangs Shoes.