Heavy Police Force Breaks Up Candlelight Vigil For Homeless Veteran

For the past  15 weeks, supporters of Veteran MarkHarris, who was evicted at gunpoint by Fannie Mae, have been holding a candlelight vigil in front of Fannie Mae VP, Candy Lasher's home. Tonight, over 15 DeKalb county police officers, many in tactical gear, were sent to break up the peaceful vigil, threatening everyone with citations and arrest. American Friends Service Committee has been involved in Mark's campaign for the last year and has had a presence at every candlelight vigil. It was a truly horrifying scene to experience first hand, there was a feeling that anything could happen to us in what seemed like a militarized zone.

They cited an obscure ordinance aimed at stifling union organizing, claiming that the solemn, silent candlelight vigil was actually a picket that potentially blocked An entrance, threatened people, or encouraged a boycott of some sort. The simple fact is that in all of our research we have found no law which prohibits candlelight vigils on public property. Below is an open letter to DeKalb County Police chief Cedric Alexander by Mother and Homemaker Kathy Akcer who was present and traumatized by last night’s police action. Kathy is pictured in this photo, she's wearing the green dress and the blue jacket:

Dear CEO Mays and Police Chief Alexander,

In 1984 we moved to DeKalb County and bought our first home. My baby was born in this house; he attended public school from kindergarten through high school;  and he is now married and a mathematics teacher.

My DeKalb County police officers have always been there for me;  from protecting the children at school to patrolling my house when I was out of town to going door-to-door to check on our safety the night a  neighbor was violently assaulted in her home. They even counseled us after the young hiker was murdered by a horrible serial killer who frequented our neighborhood park.

As moms, we always told our children that if they were ever in trouble they should run to the Policeman.

Tonight I attended a candlelight vigil for Army Veteran Mark Harris. I met
Mark after Fannie Mae evicted him from his home of eighteen years.
After meeting Mark, how could I not attend the vigil for this brave Veteran
and father?

Imagine how I felt when standing in a cul de sac, out of the mist of
headlights fifteen "action figures" - fully armed and dressed in black skull
caps and bullet-proof vests - converged on us. It was like a scene from
"Zero Dark Thirty" when the black helicopters dropped the SEALS and
under cover of darkness they closed in on Osama Bin Laden. Only
the homemaker and mother in the autumn-yellow tights and a dress
was no Osama Bin Laden.

The very idea that in economic hard times for working folks - and with
DeKalb County strapped for police officers - tax-payer dollars would be
spent to send fifteen officers, five squad cars, and a prisoner transport
vehicle to intimidate seven citizens (three of them seniors) is an outrage.
As stated above, there are real criminals in the county - murderers and
sexual assailants - for the police to stop.

Tonight I feel so disappointed by the police officers I have always trusted.
I feel scared of the officers I thought would protect me.
I am still shaking.

CEO Mays and Chief Alexander, why does Fannie Mae - one of the chief
culprits in the Great Recession - deserve more protection from you than a
regular person like me or an honorable Veteran like Mark?

Sincerely,
Mrs. K. Acker
Mother and Homemaker
DeKalb County, GA

Week Five Outside Fannie Mae VP Candy Lasher's home

The question was posed this week by one of Candy Lasher's neighbors, "Isn't protesting outside someone's home taking things to far?".

It was an interesting question considering why we have been holding our weekly candlelight vigil outside Candy's home.

Friday August 9th Desert Storm veteran Mark Harris was evicted at gun point by Fannie Mae. Mark had been trying to work with Fannie Mae for months and had offered multiple very fair deals to the taxpayer owned mortgage giant. Fannie refused to offer anything like a reasonable deal, instead choosing to move forward with an extremely tactical military style eviction. Fannie Mae even hired a private enforcement team to surround Mark's home 24/7, in fact that private force still surrounds Mark's home now. We estimate this comes at a cost of about 15k per month!

So while having a somber vigil outside Fannie Mae's SE regional VP's home may seem intrusive, it's clear most would agree that the extreme action taken against Mark Harris was certainly much more intrusive and came with the threat of actual violence.

American Friends Service Committee will continue to work with local partners to support Mark Harris and his fight to occupy his home. It is a cruel irony that our tax dollars have been used to pay for Mark's eviction and 24/7 enforcement team to stand around the house. The money Mark had offered for his home would have been a source of revenue for Fannie Mae, instead their eviction of this Desert Storm veteran has cost us all thousands of dollars and created yet another homeless veteran in Atlanta.

We believe it's time for Fannie Mae to do the right ting and meet with Mark. Make a deal that puts Mark back in the place he has called home for 18 year. We will continue to shine a light, every week, and the decision makers at Fannie Mae until they decide to do the right thing.

To sigh Mark's online petition click here.

To join us next week for Mark's vigil click here.

Amazing Video Recap Of Mark Harris Week Of Action!

Check it out and share far and wide! Special Thanks to Rob Call with Occupy Our Homes Atlanta for making this short, and of course everyone who participated in all of the actions this week!


Sign the petition to keep Mark in his home!

Desert Storm Veteran Takes His Fight To Fannie Mae Executive's Home

The Past Wednesday Desert Storm veteran Mark Harris held a Candle light vigil and prayer service at the home of Catherine "Candy" Lasher, the regional director of Fannie Mae. Candy can decide whether or not to throw Mark Harris out of his home.

 Around twenty people Joined Mark for the somber event. After canvassing Candy Lasher's neighborhood to make sure everyone knew why we were there and that there was no need for folks to be afraid, Pastor David Rice led the group in prayer not only for Mark Harris but the millions of people struggling with a housing issue.

We had a candlelighting ceremony in which everyone in attendance shared their hopes, dreams, and concerns.

For me personally the issue of national security was on my mind this evening. I belief in national security, I think It should be our top priority as a national community.


A nation that is truly secure would see all of it's residents with a place to call home, food to eat, and a decent paying job. The sad irony in that we have all the resources to make the dream a reality. Our economic crisis has never been about resources, there's is and always has been enough to go around. Our crisis is about economic priority.

If we continue to believe that developing enough weapons to bomb the world a dozen times over and recruiting young people to go bomb other poor countries somehow makes us more secure, then we will continue to live in economic insecurity while those that profit from our manufactured fears make record profits.


Mark Harris and millions of others are in crisis, and we need to start seeing corporate greed and a historic military budget for what they are; robberies from our communities and real threats to real human security.

One simply place to start prioritizing  national security is for President Obama to do what he has said he would do on the election trail and fire FHFA director Ed Demarco. Demarco could single handidly bring relief in the form of the greatest people's bailout in my generation with mortgage principle reduction. Demarco has widespread support for this measure but has refused to move forward claiming that it's would be morally wrong to relieve people like Mark Harris of their dept.

It's time to let go backwards thinkers like Ed Demarco and appoint someone who has the courage and compassion to take our communities out of the hostage situation they've been in for years.

Sign Mark's online petition

Come support Mark in Atlanta Friday 4/12



Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committe

Fannie Mae Celebrates Veterans Day By Evicting Disabled Combat Veteran

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday honoring armed service veterans. It’s a federal holiday that is observed on November 11th. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said,

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

Of course over the years Veterans day has become a day to honor all who served in the military, a day to acknowledge the sacrifice their service represents. We’re all used to seeing Banks, politicians, and corporation give lip service veterans day by having shopping sales, thanking veterans on a tv commercial, or hanging sweatshop made flag in their place of business.

Are the institutions of power truly grateful for veterans and their service to the country?

Of course they are. 60% of the federal discretionary budget goes to the military industrial complex in one way or another. The products of war are big business, which means big profits. From oil, to reconstruction, weapons development, minerals, even boots and coffins mean money in the bank.

What are institutions of power doing to honor those recruited to fight the wars that line their deep pockets?

Not much. Veterans are always more likely to be unemployed then the average American. They are less likely to have a four year degree. 1/3 of all homeless people are veterans, many of them combat veterans. The housing crisis has hit veterans hard.

Right now we are especially disturbed by Fannie Mae’s attempt to take disabled Desert Storm Veteran Mark Harris home. Fannie Mae is 80% tax payer owned, and Mark has been struggling to work with Fannie Mae to strike a deal that keeps him from becoming another homeless combat veteran.

So far it seems like Fannie Mae plans to celebrate Veteran’s Day by moving forward with the eviction of Mark Harris.

Will you celebrate Veterans Day with us by supporting Mark’s struggle to keep a roof over his head?

There are three things you can do this week to help Mark.

1.      Sign and share his online petition: http://start2.occupyourhomes.org/petitions/disable-desert-storm-veteran-needs-help-to-save-his-home

2.      Call/Email Fannie Mae and tell them to work with Mark to keep him in the home: Catherine "Candy" Lasher at 404-398-6901, catherine_lasher@fanniemae.com and call and/or Andrew Wilson at 202-752-5168,Andrew_j_wilson@fanniemae.com . Demand that they halt the eviction of Disabled Desert Storm veteran Mark Harris at 1164 Dunwick Drive, Avondale Estates, Georgia.

3.      Take action with us this Wednesday! Join us at Fannie Mae’s SE Regional office,  950 E Paces Ferry Rd NE Wednesday 11/14 at 3:30pmFacebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/136771526470261/