Scott LoBaido, a conservative artist and activist Scott LoBaido, was taken into custody Wednesday for flinging pizza slices onto the grounds of New York City Hall to protest new emissions rules. (John M. Mantel for Fox News Digital)
LoBaido, a Staten Island resident and enthusiastic Donald Trump supporter, says that the rule is just the latest example of government overreach and will impose unnecessary costs on struggling pie-makers and bakers. He says that New York City Mayor Adams should be focused on more pressing issues like illegal immigration and migrant crime instead of targeting small business owners with Draconian rules.
"This invasion of illegal aliens that are beating the cops up, raping, killing and slaughtering," LoBaido said to a small group of supporters and a media scrum that had assembled outside the location before his demonstration.
"He’s worried about pizza because he hates the small business owner. He hates you New Yorkers," he added.
LoBaido then compared the pizza-throwing act to that of the Boston Tea Party of 1773, where colonists in Massachusetts dumped 342 chests of tea imported by the British East India Company into the harbor at Griffin’s Wharf. The move was a demonstration aimed toward Britain for imposing taxes on colonists without them having representation in parliament.
"Those Bostonians loved their tea. They worshiped their tea. That's all they had some of them and they sacrificed and threw it in the harbor," LoBaido roared.
"And that's what we're doing here today. You gotta make sacrifices to make history, to make f***ing change. And that's what us New Yorkers are here to do, we’re New Yorkers period."
NEW YORK CITY TAKING A SLICE OUT OF ICONIC PIZZA SHOPS WITH NEW GREEN RULE
LoBaido and another man then grabbed several slices of pizzas from pie boxes stacked outside City Hall.
As they walked to the fence with pie slices in hand, a group of police officers race after them – and once they hurled the pizzas into City Hall they were collared by NYPD officers.
"How is he being arrested for littering, littering is a fine," another man could be heard saying. "This mayor is corrupt… this is not an arrestable offense and you guys should be ashamed of yourselves for following his orders," the man barks.
The pair were then put into an NYPD minivan.
Prior to the protest, LoBaido had said he was going to feed pigeons with the pizza. It is not illegal to feed pigeons, but a violation or summons may be issued for failing to clean up unsanitary conditions that result from the activity.
LoBaido picking up slices of pizza during his protest. (John M. Mantel for Fox News Digital)
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It is not the first time LoBaido has flung pies onto the grounds of City Hall, the painter carried out the same feat in June protesting the new rules.
"They handcuffed me for f***ing throwing pizza and feeding the pigeons," Lobaido told Fox News Digital after being released from custody Wednesday. "Last year, I did it, and they just gave me a summons. This year the mayor made sure that I got cuffed."
"It's ridiculous. And what is New York known for? Pizza and Bagels. It's just it's insane. It's bulls***."
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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