A coalition of elected officials, community members and affected employees was set to rally outside Echo Drugs at 260 Broadway in Williamsburg on the morning of February 12 to protest what organizers described as harassment and the potential displacement of the longtime Brooklyn pharmacy, according to a media advisory from the office of Assemblywoman Maritza Davila.
The advisory, distributed by the New York State Assembly, said the rally was scheduled for 9 a.m. at the pharmacy’s storefront. It framed the gathering as an effort to keep Echo Drugs in the neighborhood and to draw attention to pressure the business and its workers say they have faced.
The advisory listed a roster of officials expected to take part, including Davila, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, State Senator Julia Salazar, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez. Felix Ceballos, identified as a member of the state committee, and community activist Lev Rivkin were also named among the participants, alongside neighborhood residents and employees the office said had been affected.
According to the advisory, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A and the group Build Up Justice NYC were involved in supporting the effort to keep the pharmacy operating at its Broadway location.
The advisory did not detail the specific circumstances behind the alleged harassment or the nature of the displacement the pharmacy says it is facing, and the claims described are those asserted by the organizers rather than independently established facts. Davila’s office issued the notice as a media advisory ahead of the event.
