Category — In the Press

The Rally, March, and Civil Disobedience

Yesterday (Monday, November 21st) over 350 folks marched in downtown Springfield to the Bank of America demanding an end to ALL no-fault evictions after foreclosure and loan modifications with principal reduction to the current market value. The march was organized by Springfield No One Leaves/!Nade se Mude!, a community organization that helps former owners and tenants stay in their homes after foreclosure.* People came from all over the Northeast including, Boston, Hartford, Worcester, Chelsea, Northampton, Amherst, Pittsfield and more. And of course, Springfield represented in big numbers! Protestors marched down Main Street with signs, banners and raucous chants, stopping twice to demand that banks stop foreclosing and reduce principal and that the Sheriff and banks stop all no-fault evictions after foreclosure!

The march ended at the downtown branch of Bank of America where 15 protesters chose to risk arrest by sitting in at the bank. They sit-in blocked the doors and occupied other spaces inside the bank in an attempt to prevent others from leaving until banks gave into the demands. Inside they used the “people’s mic” to communicate the groups demands to the bank, before chanting along with the crowd outside. The police were called and arrested the group now being called (with tongue firmly in cheek) “the Bank of America 15.”

*AFSC was not the primary organizers of the rally/march, although we are a coalition member of the Springfield No One Leaves Coalition.

The “Bank of America 15″

They were released last night (Monday) at 10:00pm from the Springfield Police Station on Pearl Street, after spending the day in custody. Their arraignment was held this morning at the Springfield Court House, where they were represented by the esteemed Attorney Luke Ryan from the National Lawyers Guild and Attorney Linda Thompson. Their sole charge of criminal trespass was converted into a civil infraction, which is to be addressed through $100 fine or 8 hours of community service. All arrested have agreed to do community service.

Media Coverage

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/11/22/headlines/15_arrested_at_bank_of_america_anti_foreclosure_sit_in

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/15_cited_for_trespassing_following_occupy_anti-foreclosure_springfield_protest.html

http://activistnews.blogspot.com/2011/11/15-cited-for-trespassing-following.html

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1877759/WAMC.New.England.News/Protestors.Arrested..At.Bank.Of.America.Office.In.Springfield

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/am-news-headlines-11-22-11

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/story/16092854/occupy-protest-hits-downtown-springfield

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-protests-massachusettstre7al03w-20111121,0,7287180.story

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/21/police-arrest-15-at-massachusetts-foreclosure-protest/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk9vktgoh2g&feature=youtu.be

http://www.nepr.net/news/bank-protests-come-springfield

http://www.wggb.com/2011/11/21/police-arrest-15-in-springfield-protest/

The Trivia Night last week was a great success, filling The Yellow Sofa with seven energetic trivia teams. We were covered on the front page of the Gazette the next day. Check it out!

Jeff Napolitano announced an exciting new development in the campaign: legislation will be introduced to the Northampton City Council on their August 18 meeting that would opt out of harmful federal immigration programs and ensure that Northampton residents are free from inquiries on their immigration status when interacting with city employees (including police). If passed, this legislation would satisfy an important part of our campaign as we move forward and work towards legislation that increases transparency and accountability around surveillance and profiling.

We need your support to help get this passed! Here’s what you can do:

1. CONTACT YOUR CITY COUNCILORS (our two at-large councilors and your ward councilor). Tell them you support the campaign and urge them to vote YES on August 18. Not sure who your ward councilor is? Go here to determine your ward, and go here for a list of councilors and their contact information.
2. Come to the pre-vote RALLY AT CITY HALL STEPS on THURSDAY, AUGUST 18 AT 6:30 PM. Refreshments will be provided.
3. If you haven’t already, SIGN A CARD to city councilors in support of the campaign. The cards are available at the American Friends Service Committee office in Northampton–2 Conz Street, Suite 2B.

Support immigrant rights in Northampton! Call your city councilors and come to the rally!

Yesterday (Monday, July 18), the City Council of Springfield unanimously voted in favor of two major initiatives.

In the first, pushed through by an effort by a coalition including the AFSC, the City Council of unanimously voted to opt-out of Secure Communities, the harmful federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency program. The City Council passed a resolution that urged the mayor not to sign any related immigration enforcement agreements, and signaled the city’s desire to not participate in the program. The resolution makes Springfield the largest city in Massachusetts and New England to do so.

Attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Western Massachusetts Bill Newman speaks against S-Comm.

This move comes on the heels of Governor Patrick’s announcement in June that the state of Massachusetts would be opting out of Secure Communities. In a letter to the director of ICE, Patrick stated that: “We are reluctant to participate if the program is mandatory and unwilling to participate if it is voluntary.” Since its introduction, the program has drawn criticism from law enforcement and immigrant rights advocates alike. Secure Communities, which promotes itself as a public safety tool that deports only the most dangerous undocumented criminals, actually damages public safety by undermining community trust and conflating local law enforcement with immigration. ICE’s own numbers show that the majority of people deported under Secure Communities are not dangerous criminals, contrary to the stated goal of the program.

The introduction and passage of the Springfield resolution, sponsored by Councilor Amaad Rivera, is an important milestone. Not only does it indicate support for Governor Patrick’s decision, it demonstrates the declining support for the flawed federal program that local governances are increasingly unwilling to sign on to.

Luis Perez and Maria Cuerda (of Pioneer Valley Project) testifying in favor of the Secure Communities Opt-Out resolution.

Second, City Councilors voted unanimously for the first step of what is now the strongest anti-foreclosure legislation in the state of Massachusetts, giving our growing movement yet another major victory. After over a hundred supporters rallied on the city hall steps, and then crowded into the city council chambers to give testimony and make clear that the time is now for Springfield to pass this ordinance and hold banks accountable for the destruction caused by the foreclosure crisis. The city council then unanimously voted to pass both ordinances; one enacts a city-run mandatory mediation program and the second that enforces a $10,000 Cash Bond upon banks filing the petition to foreclose! The enforcement mechanism of the mediation requirement will be worked out in committee before a second vote on the ordinance, but may include penalties of up to $300 for failure to mediate.

City Councilor Amaad Rivera speaks at the rally outside City Hall.

The costs associated with foreclosed and vacant homes have a direct impact on both individual families and the city at large. Families and communities are destroyed by the mass foreclosures being carried out by big banks, the city incurs significant costs to maintain these properties, and property values decline significantly throughout the city. The impact per foreclosure has been estimated to cost cities between $5,400 and $19,200 (potentially $34,000 if there is a fire), depending upon whether the properties have been vacated as well as foreclosed. According to a January 2011 report on National Public Radio station 88.5 WFCR, Springfield “earned the dubious distinction of having the state’s highest number of foreclosed properties in 2010.” These citywide anti-foreclosure ordinances promise to help to reverse this trend by providing material support to fight back against the havoc banks are wreaking on this city and country!

News coverage:

Springfield Council Votes to Abolish Racial Profiling Law

Effort to Opt Out of Secure Communities

Springfield City Council OKs Resolution Urging Mayor to Refuse to Participate in “Secure Communities” Immigration Initiative

Vote in Springfield Against “Secure Communities” (WAMC, 2011-07-19)

Springfield Proposes Anti-Foreclosure Rule

Springfield Passes Tough Anti-Foreclosure Legislation (WGGB)