Freddy's is MOVING not Closing. Last day is on April 30th.

OK here is the official scoop on just what is going to happen to Freddy's Bar & Backroom from Bar Manager, Donald O'Finn. They will be moving but will continue business as usual by not only providing what bars provide but a community space for art,music, diorama making, knitting, comedy etc. etc. AND we won't have to look at that depressing blight anymore. AND they are moving closer to F.I.B headquarters. See you there!

From the bar's official press release:

FREDDY’S BAR DECLARES VICTORY:
FREDDY’S BAR IS MOVING, BUT NOT CLOSING.

April 30th will be the last day of business for Freddy's Bar.

Freddy's Bar, 485 Dean Street (Corner of 6th Avenue) Brooklyn, NY

Freddy's Bar is not closing, it's moving.
We are presently in negotiations with a landlord who is not a billionaire at 4th Ave and Union Street.

We will be having a Victory party on April 30th to celebrate what the little guy has been able to do in fighting a billionaire and the corrupt government agency that he controls. We feel we have dealt fatal blows to Ratner's organization. The nets will not be sold to an international criminal, because the NBA can't afford to be associated with organized crime.

Freddy's Bar is not giving up the fight, we stand in solidarity with Prokhorov's sanctions-busting victims in Zimbabwe, and with the people of Yonkers who are paying the price for a Ratner bribery scandal. We will continuing to stand against the corruption that has dominated our lives for the last 7 years, and are looking forward to moving out from under this sword of Damocles.

Forest City Ratner will leave Brooklyn a thousand years before Freddy's Bar does. . . they have missed mortgage payments on their Metrotech Center, and the Yonkers and Zimbabwe sanctions busting scandals are criminal acts. The question is will they run out of money first, or face prosecution first. I am sure that both will happen.

The move is about the employees, and the business. We're little guys. We can't run our business into the ground as Ratner has and still survive. We have a lot of mouths to feed and we are not billionaires. The move is strategic. Very soon “Freddy’s Next Bar” will be standing tall, and Ratner will be in rubble, with no stadium, and hopefully with justice and karma finding him. This is a guy who closed a family homeless shelter in the dead of winter.

In order to assure our capacity to keep Freddy's alive in a another location, and keep people employed... we have to move the contents of the bar in a particular timely fashion to "Lock down' the next space, and thus we will not be facing an eviction situation in which a protest by chaining ourselves could happen. The Chains (“The Chains of Justice”) have served their purpose...to raise awareness of corruption, and they will move with us, forever installed on that bar as a symbol of a united community and that community’s power for affecting change.

The owner of Freddy's has had to consider those employed at Freddy's as well as his own situation, needing employment and food on the table. He made a difficult decision to pull out in such a way as to keep the contents of the bar and move it into another location. If we wait for condemnation we might sacrifice too much. I can't yet confirm the location since everything is moving very fast, and it is not locked down yet, but the area we are hoping to secure is on 4th Ave near Union Street.

We hope to open this new space as soon as possible, 2 or 3 months hopefully. The email address will not change... nor the web address.

Freddy’s has been the culmination of everything I am and everything I ever wanted in a bar.

I could not be prouder of Freddy's, it's community, and it’s accomplishments.

Freddy's is not an address, it is an idea.

I’ll See you at “FREDDY’S NEXT BAR”...the first one is on me!

Eminent Domain Standoffs in Brooklyn featuring the Fightin' Freddy's.

Cesse LaGuerre of Freddy's Brooklyn Roundhouse has put together this video covering protest actions which have happened in the last 5 months around the Atlantic Yards area. There is footage of the protests on the day of the "ground breaking" as well as all the events that happened at Freddy's Bar & Backroom.

Atlantic Yards Bobbleheads take on Cuomo over Tainted Campaign Contribution on Thursday

This just in from the Fightin' Freddy's.

Bobbleheads Attack - Doing Lunch with Cuomo

Atlantic Yards Bobbleheads take on Cuomo over Tainted Campaign Contribution

"One week ago, Thursday, March 11, 2010, the controversial groundbreaking for the Atlantic Yards project took the headlines. Yet, all Brooklyn politicians except the borough president avoided the ceremony. This is the first public indication that the political tide is turning against developer Bruce Ratner.

Nine bobbleheads, seen last week on television and in the top five political pictures in the The New York Times and the Washington Post, will be calling on Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo will be asked, by the bobblehead likeness of himself, to do his job for the people of New York by investigating Ratner. It's a slam-dunk because the evidence is nine blocks up the street at the Federal Courthouse. But first, Cuomo must return the $5,000 contribution he has received from Bruce Ratner. This contribution gives the appearance that Cuomo is favoring Ratner by his unwillingness to indict Ratner for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to bribe a city council member in Yonkers.

Ratner has received favors from the government, including land, subsidies, and--apparently--immunity from prosecution. But the bribe Forest City Ratner allegedly paid in Yonkers could lead to the end of Bruce's career now that Brooklyn politicians have largely abandoned Ratner and his Atlantic Yards project. It is huge. And the bobbleheads (3 ft tall photo-realistic heads of NY's leaders) want to help Attorney General and possible future Governor Andrew Cuomo move the case forward.

THE DEMANDS
FIRST: RETURN RATNER's DONATION: Cuomo has accepted campaign donations from Ratner, and this gives the appearance of gross impropriety, since Cuomo has dragged his feet in investigating and indicting Ratner despite evidence (cancelled checks) held by the U.S. Southern District Court just up the street from Cuomo's office.

SECOND: GET THE ALLEGED BRIBE CHECKS FROM THE FEDS AND INDICT RATNER: According to the federal indictment against City Council Member Sandy Annabi and her alleged co-conspirators, the "corrupt payments" allegedly came in the form of paychecks for a no-show job to a relative of Annabi.

Annabi is charged with changing her vote on Ratner's $631 Million Ridge Hill project which overrode the Westchester County Planning Board's rejection and let the massive project go through. The allegedly tainted vote has not been annulled, and the project that is the subject of the bribery allegations is continuing, although at least one anchor store, Saks Fifth Avenue, has pulled out since the start of Annabi's trial.

At Thursday's noon press conference outside of 120 Broadway, Bobblehead Cuomo, and others, will remind Atty. General Cuomo that you don't let Mr. Big go free so you can catch the little fish. And you don't keep donations from someone who has allegedly provided evidence that he and his company bribed a public official."

WHAT: Bobblehead Lunch Hour Press Conference

WHO: Bobbleheads of Governor Paterson, Former Governors Pataki and Spitzer, Senator Charles Schumer, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Mikhail Prokhorov, Bruce Ratner, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

WHERE: Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Office, 120 Broadway, Manhattan. Outside.

WHEN: Thursday, March 18, 12 Noon

*Photo from the New York Times.

Atlantic Yards Update: Land Grab Delayed. Keep on Calling and Writing thru Monday.

New York State's planned seizure of the property slated for the Atlantic Yards was put on hold at yesterday's condemnation hearing. Go to The Atlantic Yards Report and No Land Grab for detailed information.

I also received a missive from Fightin' Freddy stating that the call-a-thon and letter writing campaign has gotten to Judge Gerges and will continue thru Monday.

Info at the bottom on where to send and where to call.

Excerpts from the latest press release:

Subject: Surprisingly Great Day In Court Today! To WIN we need YOUR DIRECT ACTION: CALLS AND LETTER WRITING


"Today Judge Gerges DID NOT bang the gavel and give everything to Ratner. He read about the homeless shelter closing in the papers, he showed 85 letters to the court. These things are having an effect. The other side will write letters, too, and we need to have way more than them if we are going to save the Family Shelter, Freddy's Bar, and the neighborhood. so . . . . .

Calls: Ratner provided evidence used in an indictment by the feds that he bribed a city councilmember in Yonkers through a conspiracy. THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN CHARGED AND IS STANDING TRIAL YET RATNER HAS NOT YET BEEN INDICTED. We need to make it clear to the Attorney General, the Westchester D.A. and the US Court that the delay in indictment is going to have an adverse affect on the NY State Supreme Court Eminent Domain Case that will tear down the Pacific Dean Family Homeless Shelter and much of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood. Call Today, and Monday. But start Today. We WILL save the shelter!

CALLS - Go here and here for info on writing a letter.

Fightin' Freddy's CALL-A-THON to Indict Bruce Ratner * Today Only until 5pm.

I received an urgent press release from the Fightin' Freddys this morning regarding how a call to Attorney General Cuomo's office might help their cause to get Bruce Ratner "indicted by this Friday, Jan 29, or he will walk into the eminent domain hearing with a clean slate. And that will influence the proceedings."

"Your call will help provide the right pressure at the right time to give Judge Gerges a reason NOT to rubberstamp the state's eminent domain grab in his court tomorrow, Friday the 29th.

Call the Attorney General's Office at 212 416-8750 Office of Criminal Prosecution. Calls should be done today by 5pm.

Click here for the full on press release with cheat sheets on what should be said.

Coverage of yesterday's attempt to arrest Bruce Ratner in here.

Homeless Advocates Attempt to Arrest Bruce Ratner this Wednesday at Noon

Singer Crystal Waters, Councilmember Letitia James, Develop Don't Destroy founder Daniel Goldstein and Senator Velmanette Montgomery at Freddy's last week. (Click here for FIB's coverage on that.)

The fight continues to keep the Pacific Dean family shelter (located in the footprint of the Atlantic Yards) open with a community groups, homeless advocates and political leaders going directly to Bruce Ratner's office on Wednesday at noon.

All are welcome to participate.

Excerpts from the official press release.

Subject: Homeless Family Advocates to Arrest Atlantic Yards/Barclays Center Developer Bruce Ratner. Will Bring Ratner to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Office for Indictment on Bribery Charges, Coumo Will Also Be Asked to Return All Campaign Contributions From Ratner and Indict By Friday, January 29th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

What: Homeless Family Advocates to Arrest Atlantic Yards/Barclays Center Developer Bruce Ratner. Will Bring Ratner to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Office for Indictment on Bribery Charges, Coumo Will Also Be Asked to Return All Campaign Contributions From Ratner and Indict By Friday, January 29th.

When: Wednesday, January 27th 12:00 Noon, 2nd location at 1PM Where: Forest City Ratner Headquarters, 1 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY

Who: Homeless Family Advocates as detailed in copy

"A number of community groups, homeless advocates and political leaders will go to Bruce Ratner's office on Wednesday, January 27th at high noon to perform a citizen's arrest of Mr. Ratner. While we would rather arrest Ratner for the moral crime of closing a desperately needed family homeless shelter on Martin Luther King's birthday, and during Haiti relief efforts, we will instead be arresting him to stand charges of bribing a public official in the State of New York, where such activity is against the law. Our aim is to get the Pacific Dean Family Homeless Shelter re-opened until Spring. To this end we intend to see Ratner charged before this coming Friday's hearing that could give Ratner control of the facility, which he plans to tear down to make a parking lot for the Barclays Center stadium. This is possible because of a loophole created in New York State's eminent domain law by the Supreme Court's Kelo Case that allows states to take property from one person and give it to another. 43 states have changed their laws to prevent person-to-person transfer by the state, which is a type of eminent domain employed by the Soviet Union and wartime Germany, and which was illegal in the U.S. until 2005. We believe it is important that Judge Gerges, the man who will make the decision whether or not Ratner gets the shelter and the neighborhood, know what kind of heartless and shady person he is dealing with. The lack of an indictment by Attorney General Cuomo will have a clear influence on Friday's hearing, and it must be corrected. Nobody is going to physically abduct Mr. Ratner. We are informing him that we expect him to surrender to a police officer, in our presence, and go with us to be charged by Attorney General Cuomo. We will also be asking the Attorney General, who is now running for Governor, to give back the campaign contributions he has received from Ratner so that there is no appearance of impropriety associated with the delay in bringing an indictment. Should Ratner elude us we will request that a warrant be issued immediately for his arrest, and that he be extradited from any place in the world that he may choose to run to. "

Councilwoman Letitia James "Speaks Truth to Power" in the spirit of MLK.

F.I.B attended the press conference held at eminent domain central otherwise known as Freddy's Bar which has become the community gathering place to organize against the Atlantic Yards Project. Councilmember Letitia James gave a rousing speech denouncing the priorities of Michael Bloomberg, Govenor Patterson, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and "other elected officials" (Bill DiBlaso anyone?) who's work with real estate developers has cummulated to this...the eviction of 88 homeless families in the dead of winter for a parking lot. And for a project that will not start for several years.

Tish James was followed by Senator Velmanette Montgomery who also spoke eloquently against the project and made a point of saying that this housing is being built for people who don't even live in Brooklyn and noted that all the luxury condos that went up in the last few years are mostly vacant. That this project will not bring jobs to the community, it will just force the community out.

Montgomery was followed by Develop Don't Destroy founder, Daniel Goldstein, who asked "where's A.C.O.R.N today? Goldstein said that this shelter is being closed prematurely as the court date for the takeover of the 22 acres of land which includes the shelter, Freddy's Bar and his own home has been pushed back to March 17th rather than next week. He also noted that there has been warehoused housing sitting vacant OWNED by Ratner for the last 6 years.

Daniel was followed by a speaker from F.U.R.E.E (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality), a woman representing the homeless and then the events organisor Steve DeSeve and the messages were all united in the belief that we need to keep fighting even though it would seem all sign point to Ratner plowing it all down and destroying the neighborhood. Barclays Bank is involved and the world needs to know what their money is going towards, displacing a community for the worst basketball team in the country. (It was also noted that Barclay's gave money to the nazi's and contributed to the funding of the slave trade.)

It all cummulated in a spirited live performance by Crystal Waters. It was amazing and bless her for coming out and singing up about this.

There is going to be a vigil in front of the Pacific Dean Homeless Shelter on Monday at 10pm, the community is counting on Govenor Patterson to do right on this and reopen the shelter.

*Ratner to Evict Homeless on MLK Day (for a parking lot!)*Crystal Waters (She's Homeless) Performs at Freddy's this Saturday at 2pm* Please Come!

Remember this song? "She's homeless (la da di la di la"")or the proper name "Gypsy Woman"?

From City Councilmember Letitia James:

"I don't know which is colder, Brooklyn in January, or what the Barclays Center/Atlantic Yards project and the City and State of New York are doing to the homeless families on January 15. Keep this shelter open till it's warm out."

"The Barclays Center is having the city close the shelter, and having the state take it by eminent domain in the dead of winter, and on Martin Luther King's Birthday. This is wrong and unnecessary. Nothing will be built in place of the homeless shelter for decades…if ever. Replacing beds for our city’s most vulnerable -- with a parking lot-- is simply unconscionable,”

Yes it is unconscionable...

The Pacific Dean shelter has beds for 88 families ranging from couples to families with small children. It is scheduled to be shut down by the City of New York, and condemned by Eminent Domain by New York State at the request of Barclays Bank's Barclays Center basketball arena and its developer Bruce Ratner on January 15. Since Barclays is in England, and has no branches in New York, she is asking Barclays to have a heart and ask the City and State of New York to keep the shelter open, at least until spring so families that become homeless in New York's cold winter will have an indoor place to sleep. We need to think of all the homeless, and especially the kids out there in the cold this year.

Crystal Waters will perform her song, Gypsy Woman (She's homeless), with local homeless people to raise awareness of what the Barclays Center is doing, and to encourage the bank to ask the City and State to keep the shelter open till Spring, when the weather warms up.

Read more about the shelter here.

The press conference and performance will be at Freddy's Bar, this Saturday at 2pm.

Freddy's Bar is located at the corner of 6th Avenue and Dean Streets, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Please come and show your support.

Freddy's Bar on Fox News

I think I am still in shock that Fox News is sympathetic to Freddy's cause hence the delay on posting this from yesterday morning's Fox & Friends morning show where bar manager Donald O'Finn and film maker/Freddy's regular Steve DeSeve eloquently state the case. Eminent Domain is wrong!

Go to Eminent Domain Revolt to see videos of recent happenings at Freddy's.

P.S-Can't wait to hoist a few with Judge Neopolitano!