NY senators pose with 9/11-themed banner at climate change rally

NEW YORK - Two Democratic New York state senators apologized for posing with a climate change banner that evoked images of 9/11.

Sen. Rachel May of Syracuse and Sen. Robert Jackson of New York City posed Tuesday with a banner showing a plane pointed at the twin towers of the World Trade Center that were brought down in the September 11th terror attacks. The plane had the words "climate change" on it.

The senators were at a rally outside the state capitol in Albany for supporters who want $15 billion included in the budget for "climate justice."

On Twitter, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt called it "shameful" and that the use of 9/11 imagery "offends every New Yorker." He called on every member of the Senate Democratic Conference to immediately condemn "this disgusting action."

"They should never conflate 9/11 with climate change or, quite frankly, any issue," Ortt later told Fox 5 News in an interview via Zoom.

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(Provided photo)

May later tweeted on her personal account that she had "posed for numerous photos with activists, and did not see the content of the sign" at the rally and march.

"The imagery on the banner is unacceptable and I would never endorse such a cynical use of our state’s history to score cheap points," May said. "I apologize sincerely to all New Yorkers and call upon the organizers to similarly condemn this message."

May did not mention the issue on her official state Senate Twitter account.

In a statement to FOX5NY.com, Jackson also said that he was unaware of the artwork on the banner and said he would "never support anything that denigrates the memory of all who were impacted by 9/11. The artwork depicted is wrong and I fully reject it."

Jackson said he is a New York City native and is still personally impacted by 9/11.

"I sincerely apologize to anyone who might be confused by any political ploy to mischaracterize my actions," he said. "Indeed the only time I saw the banner in its entirety was on the minority leader's social media."

Images from the event showed Jackson addressing the crowd with the banner fully on display behind him. However, after Jackson emailed his statement, Fox 5 News became aware of a video showing Jackson looking directly at the banner, holding a megaphone, and repeating the words that are on it.

"As this one says, climate change, wake up America," Jackson says in the video, "in 2050 is too late."

New York Renews is the climate change organization that recorded the video. The group originally posted it on its Twitter and Facebook accounts but has since removed the video.

"We have deleted the video from our accounts so that the image will not be shared further," the group told Fox 5 News. "New York Renews did not invite or sanction this banner and we condemn the use of this imagery."  

After seeing this video, Fox 5 News reached out to Jackson for further comment. His office said it stands by the senator's statement that he did not note the details of the artwork on the banner.