Take Back the Land report(s) back

Max Rameau from Take Back the Land met and spoke with members of the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign, Southside Together Organizing for Power, and a number of other folks last night in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood at a newly unveiled cafe and community center, The Sankofa Fightback Center.  Max spoke at length about the urgent necessity to elevate housing and land rights to the level of human rights, and located today's foreclosure and housing crisis in the lineage of the major crises that have faced folks in the US over the centuries.

Folks in Chicago are planning to participate in a trans-local network of folks working to reclaim unoccupied and foreclosed homes for families in our communities, as well as step up our work to prevent evictions and bring the right to housing to the center of Chicago's political struggles.  B. Loewe was there representing the Road to Detroit organizing for the US Social Forum in June, and talked about plans to implement a Take Back the Land strategy in Detroit this summer.

We'll have photos and video from the event up soon, but for now, here's audio of last night's event.  It's a bit on the long side, but I promise, it's well worth the listen.

Take Back the Land in Chicago

The Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign presents

Max Rameau

of Take Back the Land

"By Any Means Necessary:

Fighting Foreclosures and Housing the Homeless"

Friday, February 26th

6-8pm

Ms Sis Place

1401 E 75th Street

Chicago, IL

Refreshments will be provided

Today, the same banks that were bailed out by the government are making record profits and paying out millions in bonuses, while evicting and foreclosing on poor and working families. Come hear how people across the country are fighting back by blocking evictions and returning families to foreclosed homes.

Over the past several years, Take Back the Land gained national and international attention for their campaign to “liberate” housing by identifying vacant government owned and foreclosed homes, opening them and moving “homeless people into people-less homes.” The actions do not enjoy legal protection as the families are moved in without permission from either the banks or the government. The organization also physically defends families facing foreclosure related eviction.

Max Rameau has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, USA Today, CNN, ABC World News Tonight, Fox News, Democracy NOW!, PBS' NOW program and in the Michael Moore movie, Captialism: a Love Story.

Max argues that housing is a human right, and if governments and the market are unable to provide housing for people, then social justice organizations are morally obligated to fill vacant homes with families in need, through direct action, if necessary.

With the help of the US Human Rights Network (USHRNetwork.org), Take Back the Land is now a national initiative, calling for a May 2010 month of action, during which organizations throughout the country would engage in Take Back the Land type campaigns, including take-overs and defending families from public housing or foreclosure related evictions. Max is in the Chicago area meeting with and training organizations interested in the initiative.

Take Back the Land videos and news stories can be found at www.takebacktheland.org More information about the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign can be found at chicagoantieviction.org/

Contact:

J.R. Fleming, Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign: antieviction@gmail.com / 312-287-7228
Max Rameau, Take Back the Land: takebacktheland@gmail.com

One reporter gets it right

Depressed economy leads to depression-era tactics
Megan Cottrell, One Story Up [full text]

Go into many neighborhoods in Chicago, and you’ll have trouble convincing anyone that this economic downturn is a recession. With some neighborhoods facing 20 percent and higher unemployment, depression is the word. And some communities are turning to tactics used in the depression to fight back against rising joblessness, evictions, crime and disorder.

Think the eviction blockades proposed by Chicago’s new Anti-Eviction campaign are something new? Not so, said Joe Perry, a longtime Cabrini organizer, who gave a little history lesson to the residents gathered last week to plan a campaign in their community. Take a listen:


Joe Perry "Those Times Are Coming Back..." from Megan Cottrell on Vimeo.

Read the full article here

Also, check out Megan's reporting on Vocalo.org, her story comes in at 9, or about an hour into the audio.