Housing Rally! Wednesday! March 10! 11AM! City Hall Steps!

Not a whole lot left to add on this post after the title, but yeah, tomorrow morning at 11am, everyone should head to the steps of City Hall to join in on a rally for affordable housing. This one features City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and is a mobilization before some big votes coming up in Albany on the city's rent laws. I have attached the email with all of the details below, hope that NYC people can make it out even if just for a few minutes.

We will rally on the steps of City Hall with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn:

TOMORROW
Wednesday, March 11

11:00 am

City Hall – on the Steps

Lower Manhattan

The New York City Council must vote to renew the city rent control law and city rent stabilization law before they expire at the end of the month. The Council will also introduce home rule messages calling on the State Legislature to repeal vacancy decontrol, and to repeal the Urstadt Law, which since 1971 has prevented the Council from exercising any real control over our own local rent and eviction protection laws.

Chris Quinn has been an exceptional advocate for our cause. She began her professional career as a housing rights organizer, and has always been right there for us in our fight to protect tenants and preserve affordable housing. Last year she led a tenant delegation to Albany to lobby the State Legislature for stronger rent laws.

We need YOU – and your friends, neighbors and members – to show up tomorrow at 11:00 am to help us send a loud and clear message to Albany:

REPEAL VACANCY DECONTROL, AND RESTORE HOME RULE POWERS OVER OUR OWN RENT LAWS TO THE CITY COUNCIL!

Bring posters. Bring your organization’s banner.

Housing Chants!

One really fun part about the Repeal Vacancy Decontrol rally was that I picked up a sheet listing the various chants that were used all night and that are part of the tenant activist history here in NYC. I thought it would be cool to give everyone a look at these great little chants, a look at the culture of housing protest here.

Chants

Spanish:

1) Que Queremos? Rentas justas
Y cuando? Ahora!
Y como? Luchando
Creando poder popular!

2) La renta sube, sube
El pueblo sufre, sufre

3) Inquilinos unidos
jamás serán vencidos

4) Se ve, se siente,
inquilinos estan presentes!

5) Aquí estamos y
aquí nos quedamos!

6) Que es lo que queremos?
Protección legal

7) Unidos para vencer!!!!!!

English:

8) Fight, fight, fight;
Housing is a right!

9) Tenants are under attack
what do we do? rise up, fight back!

10) Put on the heat Out on the street
Tenant power can never be beat!

11) What do we want? Fair rents!
When do we want it? Now!

12) Ain't no power
Like the power of the tenants
Cause the power
Of the tenants don't stop
Say what...

13) Once I pay my rent; all my money spent

14) Get up! (Get up) Get down! (Get down)
There is a housing crisis in this town!

Not included on the sheet, but my favorite of the night was short and sweet. "They say get back, we say fight back! Get back! Fight back!" over and over, energy building with each line. I felt like I was back in an old union hall with the chants and fiery speeches and whatnot, great to see solidarity, music, fun and passion coming together in these times.

Notes on the Rally

I made it out to the Repeal Vacancy Decontrol rally last night at the Society For Ethical Culture. I'm not normally much of a fan for big political rallies, always get a little bit of a weird vibe from the large crowds getting angry and chanting thing, but overall this was an inspirational time. Very cool to see so many people come out to fight for an important cause, see real diversity and get a feel for that legendary NYC radicalism.

I arrived around 6:50 on w. 64th, signed in, then took a place in the balcony, which was relatively empty. The main area, however, was packed, overflowing with people and bands and banners. I missed the opening song and chants thing, came in for the roll call of who was involved. This was not the best choreographed part, as no one really knew what to do and sort of fizzled out. It was impressive to see the list of groups participating, it's awe-inspiring to see how many community groups NYC has who fight the good fight and have organized to fight much more powerful interestsw. The remainder of the night featured speeches from the main groups involved - It ended with brief speeches and a signing of a pledge by various State Assemblyman and Senators promising that they would make repeal of Vacancy Decontrol the #1 priority of the upcoming session in Albany. By the end of the night, the balcony was nearly completely full too, meaning that close to 800 people came through on a Tuesday night. Encouraging stuff.

The next big step in this battle will come in early January, when the new session opens. I will try to keep you posted on any developments, as things should heat up quickly. I highly recommend that people join up with one of the groups who have made this a priority right now like Tenants and Neighbors or Metropolitan Housing Council or Housing Here And Now, as they can use all of the help and support possible.