Protests Bash the 6th Annual Brooklyn Real Estate Summit

Chris Beirce and Daniel Cruz who came out today to say No to Big RE takeover of Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Early today over 600 of the most “elite” real estate owners, developers and investors gathered at the Brooklyn Museum to scheme on how to continue to gentrify neighborhoods, build more luxury apartments and displace low-to-middle income people from their homes.

Along with these greedy profiteers, politicians like former Governor Eliot Spitzer & Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams were featured speakers. These bankers, real estate developers, and electeds are hell bent on destroying the cultural, economic, and social diversity of New York City, according to the FB event page for this event.

The Brooklyn Anti-gentrification Network (B.A.N.) is calling on all New Yorkers – longtime and new residents of all nationalities – to COME out, November 17th ! The action is endorsed by the Coalition To End Broken Windows.

Many neighborhoods are being torn apart by skyrocketing rents and terrorized by police brutality. Low-to-middle income New Yorkers are being priced out or displaced by gentrification while the city is being made over into a playground for the super “rich”.

People said, “NO MORE! It’s time to #TakeBackOurCommuniites!”

Alicia Boyd of Flatbush “BAN, also demands that the Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams,, ‘Booooooo,’ who received the bulk of his campaign funding for his unopposed 2013 run for Real Estate from the RE developers”.

From the Bronx, #WhatPianoDistrict, talked about the theme party 2 RE developers threw in the BX over Halloween. “The theme of the party was called ‘The Bronx is Burning’. “My family had to put wet towels under the door. They think that’s funny. They’re making a mockery out of the people they’re trying to displace”.

Michael White of Citizens Defending Libraries, who was one of the speakers interviewed with me saying, “They’re deliberately defunding and shrinking libraries turning them into Real Estate Deals. THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY HAS RUN AMOK”. “REALLY IMPORTANT DAY TOMORROW, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS at CITY HALL 1pm Wed Nov 18 City Council is going to hold it’s FIRST, EVER HEARING ABOUT WHETHER THE BROOKLYN HEIGHTS LIBRARY, BROOKLYN’S 2nd LARGEST LIBRARY, SHOULD BE SOLD AND SHRUNK AND TURNED INTO A R.E. DEAL and reproduce a 400 Ft Luxury Tower”

Saqura, a local resident spoke saying, “They burned us out. THEY BURNED UP 2 BABIES, 4 years old and 7 years old and their mother because they wanted that building”, pointing to a building across the street from the museum. “They didn’t give a dam about our lives BECAUSE IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, YOU SEE.” “I’M GOING TO PUSH BACK. They have me down as Jane & John Doe. How do you live in a building for 38 years and they don’t even know me?” “THEY’RE TRYING TO GET SENIOR CITIZENS OUT OF RENT CONTROLLED APARTMENTS”. “THEY PUT OUT A 91 YEAR OLD WWl VETERAN AND PUT ALL HIS STUFF INTO THE DUMPSTER”.

“Terraine”, a disabled Gulf War Veteran, “I SERVED THIS COUNTRY 20 YEARS AGO AND RETURNED HOME TO NOTHING, NO JOB, NO HOUSING, NOTHING BUT HOMELESSNESS. TODAY I AM STREET HOMELESS, LIVING IN MY VEHICLE. May 11th 2015 MY SON AND I WERE FORCED INTO HOMELESSNESS. MY SON AND I WERE KICKED OUT OF THE PATRIOT HOUSE, VETERANS SHELTER IN EAST NY”. Terraine was also kicked out of a shelter in Jamaica Queens for complaining about deplorable conditions after contracting a bacterial infection and bed bugs.

People said, “Not one more person displaced! Not one more luxury development, until we have affordable housing for all!”

Whose City? Our City!

BAN is a mass-based coalition of tenants, homeowners, block associations, anti-police brutality groups, legal and grassroots organizations working together to end the rampant gentrification and displacement of low to middle income residents of Brooklyn, New York.

BAN Demands:

We demand that Average Median Income (AMI) is based on the community where housing will be built.
We demand that community boards are elected, not appointed.
We demand a rebuttal presumption requirement in the 197-A Plan process.
We demand an end to the 421-A tax break.
We demand that not one more no rent-stabilized unit is rents are destabilized.
We demand hands off SCRIE, DRIE, and HASA.
We demand no “Poor Doors”.
We demand alternative and creative affordable housing for all.
We demand the passing of The Small Business Jobs Survival Act – SBJSA Intro 0402-2014
We demand full transparency of Mayor De Blasio’s Housing Plan.