In a highly publicized video posted on September 17th, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages following four incidents in which spooked horses bolted in Central Park, injuring several pedestrians and forcing others to leap out of the way to avoid being trampled. His announcement came six weeks after the Central Park Conservancy, which operates the park, made a public statement calling for the removal of horse-drawn carriages from Central Park.

Many members of the public who heard Adams’ announcement misunderstood it. Because he said, “We have started taking steps to ban the horse-carriage industry,” they thought his office would be shutting it down. The executive branch, however, does not have the authority to do so; only the legislature does. That is why, in his announcement, Mayor Adams called on NYC Council Members to support Ryder’s Law, legislation that would prohibit the operation of horse-drawn carriages.

New Yorkers, here’s what I want you to know about the announcement we made today calling on the @NYCCouncil to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park: pic.twitter.com/p68qjA1Od8

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) September 17, 2025

In his announcement and in a subsequent executive order, Mayor Adams also stated that he would enforce the laws routinely broken by carriage drivers and offer horse-drawn carriage drivers incentives to leave the business voluntarily. His first deputy Mayor, Randy Mastro, wrote in an op-ed in the Daily News, “we have offered to find alternative city employment for the drivers that assures them higher wages” and “have offered to compensate owners for the value of their licenses.”

Prior to Mayor Adams’ announcement, 20 NYC Council Members had already signed onto Ryder’s Law. NYCLASS, the animal advocacy organization leading the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages, hoped that his announcement would compel additional lawmakers to sign onto the bill. So far, no one has. In order for the bill to pass, at least six more City Council members would have to support the bill. In addition, the Speaker of the City Council, Adrienne Adams, would have to allow a public hearing and a vote on the bill. For the past three years, Speaker Adams has blocked Ryder’s Law behind the scenes while telling reporters that she’s allowing the legislative process to “run its course.”

Many of the City Council members who have not signed onto Ryder’s Law have privately cited fear of retaliation by industry lobbyist John Samuelsen as the reason why. As President of the Transport Workers Union, which makes endorsements, Samuelsen wields far more influence than outgoing Mayor Adams, who has no leverage over city lawmakers. In addition to aggressively lobbying City Council members to oppose Ryder’s Law, Samuelsen is spending $1 million on advertisements attacking those who have already signed onto Ryder’s Law and other stakeholders calling for a ban.

As a lobbyist and spokesperson for the horse-drawn carriage trade, Samuelsen has led Council Members, the media and the public to believe that the carriage drivers and others who work in the business are dues-paying union members. When pressed, however, Samuelsen has admitted that the workers have neither a union contract nor a collective bargaining agreement. In addition, the workers have no protections or benefits and are not eligible for disability, Workers Compensation, unemployment or Social Security.

Horse-drawn carriage lobbyist John Samuelsen, who is president of the Transport Workers Union, is taking out attack ads on NYC Council Members who support Ryder’s Law, the bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages.

In addition to Council Members, Samuelsen is attacking the Central Park Conservancy over its call to remove carriages from the park. Instead of attempting to address the Conservancy’s concerns – that the carriages pose a safety hazard, damage the roadways and contaminate the the streets with manure – Samuelsen is accusing its leaders of being “corporate aristocrats” who are “desecrating the park’s storied history.”

TWU President John Samuelsen launched a $1M campaign attacking NYC Mayor Eric Adams over his support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages

As part of his $1M campaign against supporters of Ryder’s Law, Samuelsen has also launched a public relations campaign attacking Mayor Adams as an “untrustworthy backstabbing rat.” Now that Adams has dropped out of the Mayoral race, however, this campaign could potentially backfire, as he nothing to lose by advocating for a ban. Instead of silencing him, the attack ads might embolden him to double down on his effort to ban the industry. If he succeeds, the Mayor will not only have improved his legacy, but he will also have won the war waged against him by Samuelsen.

“It’s outrageous that John Samuelsen & TWU⁩ are blowing $1 million in workers’ hard-earned dues to attack the mayor for standing up against animal abuse.

When is the last time TWU spent $1 million making buses & subways safer for their own members?” https://t.co/Oxu9cdFnFV

— NYCLASS (@nyclass) September 25, 2025

Samuelsen is also attacking NYCLASS, claiming that its founder Steve Nislick is motivated to shut down the industry by his desire to buy the stables and replace them with skyscrapers. While untrue, Samuelsen is taking out ads to amplify the “real estate land grab” narrative because it served the horse-drawn carriage industry well in 2014 when then Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to ban it. At the time, the Teamsters Union, which served as the industry’s lobbyist until 2016, spread the same lie, and New York’s three major newspapers ran with it. Despite the fact that the papers offered no proof of the accusation, the public believed the “big, bad real estate developer” narrative and sided with the horse-drawn carriage industry. Eleven years later, public support for a ban has increased, driven in part by the high profile horse deaths and accidents caught on camera. According to the latest poll, 71% of New Yorkers support a ban.

John Samuelsen, the TWU President who is serving as the lobbyist for NYC’s horse-drawn carriage trade, has falsely accused NYCLASS founder Steve Nislick of attempting to ban horse-drawn carriages in order to develop the lots where the stables are located

While Mayor Adams has dropped out of the race, his three former opponents – Curtis Sliwa (R), Zohran Mamdani (D) and Andrew Cuomo (I) – have publicly stated that they support too a ban on horse-drawn carriages in NYC. Their support, however, does not appear to be moving the City’s lawmakers.

During his last few months in office, Mayor Adams is expected to use the power of his office to advance a ban. NYCLASS, which has led the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages for almost 20 years, is hopeful but not taking any chances. Its Executive Director Edita Birnkrant told supporters during a recent rally that the organization will continue to lobby City Council members in support of Ryder’s Law; hold Speaker Adams accountable for blocking it; combat the false narratives in the media; educate and mobilize the public; and document the horse-drawn carriage accidents and horse collapses.

The death of Spotty, a horse who spooked and crashed on Ninth Ave in 2005, led to the formation of the Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages. In 2006, NYCLASS joined the fight and has been leading the effort for almost 20 years.

“Fuck the bulls.  Fuck the bulls.”

As animal rights activists protested a Professional Bull Riding (PBR) event at NYC’s Madison Square Garden (MSG), fans heading inside greeted them with obscenities, remarks about eating meat and nervous smiles. The reactions came as no surprise to the activists, who have protested year-after-year in an effort to educate the public about the cruelty associated with bull riding.

“Bulls don’t naturally buck,” said Nora Constance Marino, an attorney who organizes the annual PBR protest at Madison Square Garden. “The bull riders use cruel methods to provoke them that may include shocking them with electric prods, jabbing them with spurs, squeezing them with flank straps and twisting their tails. Everything about this so-called sport is inhumane.”

Bull riders use weapons including electric prods, spurs and flank straps to provoke bulls into bucking

While most of the PBR patrons ignored the protesters, several stopped to say that they had misgivings about attending. Some agreed that bull riding is inhumane, and others said they came only because they received free tickets.

@theirturn

Watch bull riding fans clash with #animalrights activists protesting the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) show at Madison Square Garden. A few of PBR’s corporate sponsors are tagged. #animalcruelty #bullrider

♬ Breaking News – Breaking News

A few patrons defended the “sport,” stating that the “bulls are treated better than people.” After speaking to Edita Birnkrant, a protester who said that some of the bulls are injured and killed, one devoted PBR fan acknowledged that she could be correct. “It’s possible,” he said.

PBR transports bulls around the country in trailers and stores them in holding pens at bull riding arenas

For years, activists in NYC have called on the management at MSG to stop hosting the PBR. In 2019 and early 2020, before the pandemic, the Animal Cruelty Exposure Fund (ACEF), Marino’s organization, staged protests at the Upper East Side home of then MSG Sports President Andrew Lustgarten. His neighbors told the activists that they suspect the protests led him to move out of the building.

Animal rights activists in NYC protest bull riding at Madison Square Garden

According to PETA, animals used in rodeo events, including bull riding, “commonly sustain broken bones, punctured lungs, snapped necks, or torn muscles, and they sometimes die in an arena.”

Cruelty to animals violates the corporate social responsibility policies espoused by many of the PBR’s sponsors, but that doesn’t stop them from underwriting the bull riding tour.

On February 25th, approximately 30 animal rights activists in New York City staged a disruption in the lobby of Trump Tower as part of the Worldwide Rally Against Trophy Hunting (WRATH), an annual multi-city demonstration produced by CompassionWorks International. Organizers of the NYC rally chose Trump Tower because Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have participated in many well-publicized trophy hunts and have posted photos with their victims.

Activists also staged rallies in Denver, Chicago, Birmingham (U.K.) and Nashville, where Safari Club International’s annual hunting convention took place. WRATH, which is timed to coincide with the annual convention, aims to “raise awareness about the ego-driven and senseless murder of countless wild animals by trophy hunters.”

During the Worldwide Rally Against Trophy Hunting, animal rights activists in NYC staged a die-in in Trump Tower in memory of the animals who Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump slaughtered on their trophy hunting expeditions. After the lobby disruption, the activists continued the rally on busy Fifth Avenue.

In NYC, organizers rented a mobile billboard that projected images of trophy hunters, including the Trumps, and played a wrap song called Hunter! Listen up by Entyce. The song is featured in TheirTurn’s video about the NYC rally.

As part of the Worldwide Rally Against Trophy Hunting (WRATH), a mobile billboard driving through Midtown Manhattan displayed images of trophy hunters and their victims

After protesting and staging a die in inside of Trump Tower, the activists exited the building and conducted educational outreach with tourists in the bustling midtown neighborhood. While most of the pedestrians who acknowledged the rally were supportive, some Trump supporters and hunters taunted the activists.

In an apparent effort to taunt WRATH participants, a pedestrian repeatedly stated that hunting is fun and encouraged protesters to try it.

In 2015, anti-trophy hunting sentiment moved into the mainstream when Cecil, a beloved lion in Zimbabwe, was shot and killed by Walter Palmer, a big game hunter from Minnesota. The killing of Cecil, which was widely reported in mainstream media outlets, led U.S. Fish and Wildlife to add lions in Africa and India to the endangered species list, making it more difficult for Americans to partake in lion hunting.

Walter Palmer, a trophy hunter from Minnesota, killed and beheaded Cecil, a beloved lion in Zimbabwe.

Dozens of animal rights activists with Animal Cruelty Exposure Fund and PETA staged three days of protests at Madison Square Garden as spectators entered the annual bull riding show hosted by the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). While some of the PBR fans took a handout explaining why bull riding is inhumane, most of them either ignored or taunted the activists, encouraging them to “get a job” and “eat steak.” According to the protesters, none of them defended bull riding by stating that the bulls are treated well or that the practice is humane.

“The bulls are stuffed into trailers, hauled around the country and provoked with cattle prods, flank straps and spurs to get them to buck,” said Nora Constance Marino, President of Animal Cruelty Exposure Fund (ACEF), a New York-based animal rights organization. “If they want to partake in bull riding, they can use mechanical bulls.”

According to PETA, animals used in rodeo events, including bull riding, “commonly sustain broken bones, punctured lungs, snapped necks, or torn muscles, and they sometimes die in an arena. Anyone who cares about animals should avoid these spectacles of suffering.”

Bull riders provoke bulls into bucking with cattle prods, flank straps and spurs

ACEF, PETA and other local animal rights groups have been protesting the annual bull riding show at Madison Square Garden for at least ten years. In 2021, their efforts were bolstered by New York State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, who introduced legislation that would prevent bull riding from taking place in the state by banning the tools that bull riders use to make the animals buck. The bill is pending in the legislature’s agriculture committee.

In 2021, NY State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal introduced legislation that would end bull fighting in the state by banning the tools used to provoke the bulls into bucking (click photo to see legislation)

In addition to demonstrating at the bull riding events, NYC activists have staged six anti-rodeo protests at the Manhattan home of Andrew Lustgarten, the CEO of Madison Square Garden. Based on feedback from his neighbors, the activists speculate that the protests led him to move out of his luxury condominium on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

The PBR is sponsored by several national corporations. Its largest sponsor is Monster, the energy drink company.

Professional Bull Riders Corporate Sponsors

Carolyn Maloney, a U.S. Congresswoman who spent several years attempting to lease a pair of giant pandas from China and put them on display in New York City, has been voted out of office. Maloney lost the Democratic primary to fellow incumbent Congressman Jerry Nadler, who signed Voters for Animal Rights “No to Pandas in Captivity” pledge.

Carolyn Maloney’s election loss brings an official end to her quest to import pandas into NYC. It also brings an end to the animal rights campaign to stop it.

In 2016, Maloney partnered with two prominent billionaires, John Catsimatidis and Hank Greenberg, to create a not-for-profit organization “to raise funds to bring panda bears to New York City.” Money raised by The Pandas are Coming to NYC, Inc. would be used to lease two giant pandas from a breeding facility in China; to build a “pavilion” in Central Park in which to display them; and to pay for their care. Maloney’s motives for embarking on this expensive and complicated undertaking are unclear, though she and her partners on the project claim that the presence of pandas would bring joy to New Yorkers and tourists.

Carolyn Maloney spent several years raising money to lease a pair of giant pandas from China and put them on display in NYC. NYC’s animal rights community fought against the plan.

From the outset, the plan had one influential detractor, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCF), which runs the Central Park Zoo. For Maloney, the zoo was the most obvious place to put the pandas on display, but the WCF didn’t want the pandas because they are expensive and require more care than most other wild animals in zoos.  WCF’s opposition did not deter Maloney, at least at first. She and her partners said they would build a stand-alone “panda pavilion” in the park.

Animal Rights activists protest Carolyn Maloney’s plan to lease a pair of giant pandas from China and put them on display in a “Panda Pavilion” in NYC

In 2017, Maloney, Catsimatidis and Greenberg, hosted a fundraising gala at the Waldorf Astoria to raise money to lease and display the pandas. The gala raised approximately $125,000 for The Pandas are Coming to NYC Inc., a fraction of the tens of millions of dollars needed for the project. Still, positive media coverage of the “Black & White Panda Ball” generated widespread public awareness and gave the project momentum.

U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is flanked by Maurice Greenberg and John Catsimatidis, billionaires who backed her plan to lease pandas from China and display them in NYC.

Within weeks of the Panda Ball, the NYC-based animal rights group TheirTurn launched a campaign to discourage Maloney and her partners from moving forward with this project. After sending them letters and launching a social media campaign, activists began staging provocative protests at their public events with the message that pandas, like all wild animals, exist for their own purposes; that they belong in their natural habitat, and that they should not be held captive in an exhibit for our amusement.

During an encounter with protesters in Midtown Manhattan, John Catsimatidis invited TheirTurn’s Donny Moss onto his radio show to discuss the concerns of the animal rights community. During the interview, he argued that “90% of NYers want the pandas,” according to a poll he commissioned.  He also revealed that he found a donor who is “contributing $10 million to build a panda pavilion.”

After the radio interview failed to sway Catsimatidis, TheirTurn organized a protest at the Fifth Avenue home of Hank Greenberg.  Several hours before the protest, Greenberg called Moss and asked him to cancel it. Like Catsimatidis, Greenberg defended the panda plan, scoffed at Moss’s objections and gave no indication that he and his colleagues would back down. That evening, dozens of activists staged the protest at his building.

In a subsequent letter to the plans’ backers, Moss suggested that they create a virtual reality exhibit in which visitors could observe and experience pandas in their natural habitat. In response, an executive who was working on the project wrote, “Not in a million years would these guys buy this.” Several months later and in response to the protests, the same individual wrote, “Actually I think you have done well.  It seems stalled and without constant momentum, these things die.” In the years that followed the Black and White Panda Ball, the panda project did, in fact, appear to fizzle. Maloney stopped fundraising, and the not-for-profit became inactive, according to its tax forms.

The local animal rights community does not know what impact the protests played in Maloney’s apparent decision to stop pursuing the pandas, but they are pleased.  “We encourage Congresswoman Maloney, John Catsimatidis and Hank Greenberg to donate the money they raised and no longer need for the panda pavilion to organizations that conserve wild animals in their natural habitat,” said Allie Taylor, president of Voters for Animal Rights, which opposed Maloney’s plan to import the pandas.

A petition calling on U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney to call of her plan to put pandas on display in NYC garnered almost 100,00 signatures