Urgent Update: GMAC threatens Rosemary Williams with evication TODAY
Noon Tuesday: Police in unmarked cars doing drive-bys and parking down the block from Rosemary's.
URGENT UPDATE: Help needed at Rosemary's at 3138 Clinton in Minneapolis. GMAC offered Rosemary $5000 to leave her long-time home. When she declined, GMAC said that they would file a trespassing complaint and send the police to evict her. Police could arrive at any time. All kinds of support needed--media, solidarity, civil disobedience.
Cancelled: TAKE ACTION: Tuesday morning at 9:30am meet at Rosemary's house--3138 Clinton-- then go together to the mayor's office at 10am to demand a just resolution to Rosemary's situation.
Related: MPR Update says police waiting for opinion of city attorney | Fighting foreclosures in North MPLS from TCDP
Monday evening: Ninety to a hundred people attended a candlelight vigil at Rosemary Williams's house. Religious folks and other community activists spoke. "God opened the door," said one speaker, describing the occupation.
Monday: 4th day of occupation; approx. 15 people stayed at the house last night; many more there this morning. | Article & Video from Fight Back News
Sunday Update: Press conference at Rosemary's house, 8am Monday.
The occupation at Rosemary Williams' home at 3138 Clinton in Minneapolis enters its second night tonight. On Friday night, about 20 people, including Rosemary Williams herself, spent the night at the home after a no trespassing order was given earlier in the day. At a 4pm press conference this rainy and humid Saturday, the usual crowd of activists from MN PPEHRC and the Coalition for a People's Bailout (twitter feed), bolstered by growing support and donations of food and supplies from neighbors, rallied to the defense of Williams' home. Some pushed for GMAC to finally negotiate; others concluded that the only option left is to defend the house with their bodies.
The question now is what the Minneapolis Police will do next. A police spokesman has said they'll respond if a trespassing complaint is received - but what that means is anyone's guess. For now, says Rosemary, "We can't give up, that's the bottom line. We have to band together to make this happen." People will continue to occupy the house around the clock.
Previously: Sheriffs Arrive, Leave
In other foreclosure resistance news, Barbara Byrd's court case has been rescheduled, according to an update from MN PPEHRC. The Arican American woman fighting to stay in her Brooklyn Park home was scheduled to appear Monday to present her case against lender EMC. Her new court date is Wednesday, September 16 at 1pm.
Linda, a Robbinsdale woman also facing foreclosure, spoke at the press conference Saturday to highlight the numerous other folks facing similar situation's as Rosemary's - not always with the support of volunteers who have been helping to move her belongings, care for grandkids, and navigate the legal system. "We don't need more empty houses," she said, "What kind of sense does that make? People have no place to go."
Said Mick Kelly of the People's Bailout coalition, "GMAC needs to start up negotiations right now with Rosemary. She doesn't need the sheriffs here, she needs good faith negotiations." The coalition is asking supporters to call GMAC's Alvaro De Molina (215-734-8899) to demand they negotiate. But those calls haven't been working for months, and other supporters wondered how asking for individual negotiations will solve the systemic problem of corrupt mortage companies. They wonder, who really owns the property: a company, or the home's 55-year resident, Rosemary?
Directly across from Rosemary's home, a vacant home which had been graffitied with housing slogans (photos were posted to the TCIMC open wire last in April) was mostly painted over before the sheriff came to change the locks (which lasted all of five minutes) on Friday. Although organizers and community members of differing political stripes have come together to defend at least one woman's home, the crowd ranging from a handful to several dozen on Clinton Avenue in the last two days has had plenty of time to ponder whether foreclosure resistance is headed in a more radical or a more reformist direction.
Rosemary's supporters vow to stay in her home until a showdown with the police occurs or some other solution is reached. For now, the police appear to have been scared off, except for occasional drive-bys. What happens next will be an indication of the trajectory of social movements around housing in the Twin Cities: will Rosemary's case become an isolated incident, or indicative of a future of resistance? Will a consciousness emerge about what true ownership entails? And with housing the hot topic in the Minneapolis activist scene this summer, will the public movement to resist foreclosures move beyond a few figureheads after Rosemary's saga is finally decided one way or the other?
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I agree with the last part of
I agree with the last part of this article. Can large-scale home foreclosures be stopped by paying attention to a few such cases? Are we fighting to save one home or millions? What does this fight say about the concept of ownership? I value the community effort that has supported Rosemary's fight to save her house. But, we need to utilize other tactics as well if we are to actually make a statement about the state of the U.S. economy and actually change it. What actions, language and methods can be utlized by individuals and families across the U.S. who don't have the support that Rosemary does? Something needs to happen that can unite people to join this fight.
Regardless of whether
Regardless of whether Rosemary's case heralds a new era in the fight against foreclosures and evictions, it is an important struggle for Rosemary, her family, and the community. You are invited to stand up with Rosemary and her supporters as we seek to ensure that she is allowed to stay in her home without intimidation from the police, who evidently serve at the pleasure of so-called "lenders" and "investors". As for the larger issues, we also demand an immediate moratorium on foreclosures and evictions!
"so-called"? that's what they
"so-called"? that's what they are. i don't get it.
thank you for the updates, they are much appreciated
It helps when emailing others of what is going on and actions we can take for those of us far away. with so many groups, people, agencies, and some politicians fighting to keep people in their homes I would think lenders would do more, but as someone who works in the industry they aren't. They are still very focused on profiting.
Call GMAC and voice opposition to their treatment of Rosemary W.
I had success reaching a live human by calling this GMAC phone number: 1(800)627-0128
just press '0' and it transfers to a live human.
I called and said, "i am calling as a citizen of minneapolis, mn today to tell GMAC my opinion of their treatment of the Rosemary Williams foreclosure case. If you foreclose on her, it will motivate more and greater community opposition to the narrow bank interests and their exploitation of "underprivileged" members of my community."
I actually told the receptionist, to paraphrase, "if there are arrests today as the GMAC representative stated there would be, that will motivate me to greater involvement in opposing the foreclosure crisis happening in my community, and i will devote much more energy to raising awareness and opposing the narrow profit interests that are exploiting my community." To which she responded, "is that a threat?" at which point i was speechless.
I had no luck contacting their Public Relations line at (215)7346467, but that might be worth a try too!
also, call minneapolis city attorney & 3rd precinct
Call the Minneapolis City Attorney's office to urge them, for their part, not to support law enforcement in forcibly removing Rosemary or any supporters for possible tresspassing:
(612) 673-2010
Call the MPD 3rd precinct to urge them, for their part, not to enforce any tresspassing violations against these citizens who are supporting our community interests, in opposition to the elite banking interests:
(612)673-5703, dial extension #3 to reach seargent's desk.
Screaming at a wall...
"Call the MPD 3rd precinct to urge them, for their part, not to enforce any tresspassing violations against these citizens who are supporting our community interests, in opposition to the elite banking interests:
(612)673-5703, dial extension #3 to reach seargent's desk."
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Seriously!?
You must be dry fucking me. This is the strategy? Calling the police and asking them to not arrest people. This is whats going to save Rosemary's house? Focusing people's energy a dis-heartening direction does much to cut off actual potentiallities if folks were to get fired up and seriously seriously decide to defend this space and not just make a posturing spectacle that looks much like a BBQ.
Be real. Safe actions that alleviate your guilt WILL NOT save rosemary's home.
The police are going to arrest you. They are going to break into Rosemary's house at some point and tear it from her grips. Asking them not to is useless. If Rosemary's house is to be actually protected, much more abrasive squat defense measures clearly need to be implimented.
it may be useless at
it may be useless at defending her home forever, but the goal is this particular campaign isn't for rosemary to squat in the home forever. and pressure tactics like these HAVE worked at least at winning 5 more days time than the mortgage company wanted.
as much as i would like to see this issue be expanded too, sometimes being an ally to folks facing the shit means to subordinate one's own agenda and take actions like these. however small they may be, it's what the people most directly affected have asked for.
"at least at winning 5 more
"at least at winning 5 more days time than the mortgage company wanted."
Thats not a victory, thats an inconvenience.
Being an 'ally' to folks is necesary. But being tactically wasteful and ineffective is a whole other story.
Standing in a yard or house is not going to prevent the police from taking over the house in the long run. It may delay them for the amount of time before they arrest people, but just like the statement above, thats not a victory. Once they are finished arresting the people who are "showing good faith" in the system's sympathy, we're left with a bunch of court cases and nearly the same results as we would had we not stood around her house.
With the reality that the mode of resistance to the current situation isn't going to stop the police from being police and thus isn't going to stop them from stealing her house. I would say that probably some of the best things that had been done thus far has been helping Rosemary move her stuff. Because it crystal clear that if this is the 'fierce' front line against eviction, shes going to be needing to find a new place rather soon.
-A few thoughts-
What if being an 'ally' meant actually fending the police off?
What if being an 'ally' meant bording up the doors and windows and engaging in squat defense?
What if being an 'ally' meant opening up a new house for rosemary to move into that she could have a place to live in the mean time?
What if being an 'ally' meant actually doing tangible things to help that persons situation rather than creating a powerless spectacle that will come and go and leave Rosemary without a home?
These would all be much more effective means of being a 'ally', or more importantly, a fucking friend.
What if being an ally meant
What if being an ally meant first and foremost doing as requested by the people you're allied with? That's Ally 101.
If you want to do militant squatting, there's lots of houses available to you. Nothing prevents you from starting the kind of housing politics you want to see. In fact, doing something like that might take some heat off folks who--for whatever reason--don't want to board up their houses and stay inside until the cops come, hoping that their punk rock buddies can fight off the police. (I cannot BELIEVE that you're suggesting that, by the way. I wouldn't do it, and I have actual punk rock buddies, I'm young and in good health, and I am not an activist of color living in a heavily policed neighborhood. I assume you're familiar with the violence that has attended highly public squat evictions in other cities.) Or folks who--for whatever reason--don't want to live in a squat, kite power and water, hide their presence, etc.
It's a little odd to show up and say "hey, I think people should do as I say if they want to be real revolutionaries; everything else is just useless".
same thing in localities across the nation
(i am not very informed; but) i understand there are people doing this same kind of occupation in response to attempted foreclosures, and its happening all at once in who knows how many cities across the united states.
if thats true, then keeping their phone ringing might at least show the cops that people are paying attention, and that if they do decide to move in and arrest then they might be provoking disapproval of minneapolis citizens.
if all the police departments receive lots of citizen calls on this matter, it won't take long for word to "trickle up" their hierarchy to their national decision-makers that making those arrest actions might mobilize already-growing public sentiment against their thuggery?
To me, that is worth the 5 minutes it takes to make the calls.
I have guilt, and it's not resolved by my having made the calls, but why frame it like you gotta either do A or B, when the two are NOT diametrically opposed?
If all the police departments
If all the police departments receive lots of citizen calls on this matter, it won't take long for word to "trickle up" their hierarchy to their national decision-makers that making those arrest actions might mobilize already-growing public sentiment against their thuggery?
And what will that growing public sentiment do with their massive numbers? Call the police and beg them to stop? Stand in a yard and get arrested?
The fact that people are making pleading phone calls to their enemies isn't so much what erks me (although its certainly a funning thought...). Its more that its being presented amongst a small number of other equally silly options to resist foreclosure. This does nothing but direct the potentiallity of angry individuals away from any sort of actual means to severly impede the interest of those they are opposing.
Point being, you dont have to do one or the other. There are a slew of other ways in which people could be making the city pay for their disgusting acts. Folks are merely being streared into a situation in which the tactics they use cannot possibly lead to any sort of real victory.
What, you think boarding up
What, you think boarding up the house and squatting is going to achieve a lasting victory? Are you outta your mind?
All that would mean is that the cops would come in with guns, beat the shit out of people and Rosemary would be criminally charged for whatever happened. You want to see a nice black grandmother charged with multiple felonies? What kind of a life is she going to have after that?
You are not going to "fend off the police" with anything short of the United States Army. If necessary, they will burn that house down around your ears like they did at Waco.
Going toe-to-toe with the police is a fantasy that will bring nothing but sorrow.
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