LI Dems Dance For Joy At Celebration For Biden's Projected Win

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Throwing off their shoes to dance in the grass under the warm sunshine at Agawam Park in Southampton Sunday, a group of overjoyed supporters of Democrat Joe Biden gathered to celebrate the news that he is projected to become the 46th U.S. president.

The "Boogie for Biden — Impromptu Dance Party To Celebrate Our Win!" was hosted by Lisa Votino.

Those in attendance carried flags and banners and spoke about what the news of Biden's projected victory meant to them.

"For the first time in four years I feel like I can breathe a little bit," said Votino, a human rights organizer from Southampton. "It doesn't solve all the problems overnight, obviously, but I'm going to celebrate for a couple of days and then it's back to work with everything. I'll take my wins as I can."

Roland Hoffmann said he and his husband and have lived in Manorville for 25 years and until recently, "he had never heard a derogatory term. Not until the election of Donald Trump."

Hoffmann also brought his daughter Isabelle, 15, who said she came to support her father. She was also happy with the projected election results. "It's feels nice knowing that nothing bad is going to happen to human rights," she said.

Bonnie Doyle of Hampton Bays said she came to the park "to celebrate one of the most momentous elections in our history."

"I'm here to celebrate the restoration of our democracy," said Diane Hayes of East Quogue.

Susan Corwith of Southampton shared her reasons for attending the celebration: "I'm here to celebrate Trump leaving, that we've stopped the descent of our country into fascism, and that we are taking back democracy," she said.

Willie Jenkins, who has organized numerous Black Lives Matter rallies across the East End with Votino, said he was happy to celebrate "Biden winning. I think everybody feels a sigh of relief that we don't have to deal with someone that's so divisive. Somebody that's supposed to be a leader is supposed to represent both sides of the nations; he isn't supposed to be divisive. He's supposed to be inclusive, ethically moral."

(Video by Lisa Finn)

Trump, Jenkins added, "is not a good president in that sense. I can't stand behind somebody who is like that. I've got kids. I can't have someone who, when someone is doing the wrong thing, he's not speaking against it. You are the face of the entire world — that's not right. Right is right and wrong is wrong."

Olivia Galway, 16, and her sister Violet, 12, as well as Lexie Erb, 12, said they came because they were happy to get that "'Cheeto' out of office." Added Lexie: "Kamala Harris is totally bad---, and Biden is going to save the world."

(Video by Lisa Finn)

Democrats on Long Island cried with joy Saturday after unofficial election results in Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral votes, put Biden over the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency, The Associated Press and other news organizations have projected.

Celebrations erupted in New York City the moment Biden was projected to win the presidency.

Supporters of President Donald Trump, however, resolved to rally for justice after an election they say was less than fair.

Shawn Farash, of West Babylon, who has organized a number of "MAGA-Gras" caravans across Long Island, including one that drew thousands to Montauk and another to the North Fork, in support of Trump, organized a new rally Sunday. "MAGA-Gras VII: Stop the Steal," headed from East Northport to Hauppauge.

"Today's projection comes when there is insufficient data available with regards to the legitimacy of the ballots found, counted, and processed," he said Saturday. "Bipartisan meaningful access to tabulation was denied in several key states in violation of election laws and court orders. The election results have not been certified and legal challenges have not been resolved, so all we have here is a coordinated effort to influence if not completely steal a U.S. presidential election." The rally was organized, he said, "to expose these practices and fight for the preservation of free and fair elections."