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.