Thursday, April 26, 2007

From Miami Workers Center, this afternoon...by gimleteye

Last night UMOJA village burned to the ground: Miami, activists in standoff after shantytown fire. Many residents spent the night on the site to defend it, and this morning the rebuilding process began. Police have now surrounded the site and are not allowing residents to return, and they are stopping UMOJA's clean up and rebuilding process from proceeding. One organizer of UMOJA has been arrested, and police are threatening more arrests. They are determined to clear the site.

UMOJA organizers are asking all people of conscience to go immediately to UMOJA village to witness the proceedings and ensure that the site and residents rights are respected.

UMOJA Village:
Corner of 62nd street & NW 17th Avenue.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty outrageous that the same day Umoja Village, harboring poor people just trying to scrape their own community together, burns down--provoking the police to bar poor people from re-establishing their shanty town, the Miami City Commission approves another zoning by a billionaire targeting $3-$10 million condo buyers.

Anonymous said...

What is really interesting is that the Umoya "shantytown" commissioner Spence-Jones cannot create any housing for her constituents in Liberty City and Overtown but she falls all over herself to help billionaire and her favorite campaign contributor George Perez get special zoning to build $5 Mil condos in another commissioners district. Over the objections of that districts residents. Only in Miami.

Anonymous said...

The politicians and police are soo ready to close down this "circus" in Liberty city when someone should shut down the circus going on at the miami dade county and city of miami commissions.

When will working people in Miami realize that their economic problems and those of the poor and homeless are all related to the same political cause, our current corrupt political officials.

Anonymous said...

Did everyone see commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones rambling on about all the weak reasons she could muster to change zoning to R4 in another commissioners district so Related could build $3 Mil to $10 Mil condos? Over the objections of that districts commissioner?

She could spend her time trying to help her people and not ruining the quality of life for others.

Geniusofdespair said...

Everyone who blames corrupt politicians should look in their wallets. We have to give money to good people running so we don't always get the crappy ones. You don't have to give a lot, just a bit for better government.

Anonymous said...

I have given money to honest people, I have worked my arse off for them. After they are elected they soon become the same people we through out.
There has to be some way we can stop campaign contributions AKA BRIBES. If we really had an enforceable law to that effect things would sure change. Of course that will never be, so what can we do? We can not even shoot them all as they would just be replaced by other crooks.