Assaulted By US Marshalls Delivering Petition with Struggling Homeowners

Today I joined struggling homeowners and those who have been displaced in from their homes to peacefully deliver a petition to the US Attorney’s office asking them to push for the 4 billion dollars that are supposed to go to struggling Americans from the recent Chase Bank settlement. We were greeted by Federal Marshalls who harassed our group and attempted to bar anyone with our group from entering the public building.

At one point Marshalls began a second line in the building for “regular” citizens as we were told we couldn’t enter, this is of course a gross violation of our rights.

When we attempted to enter the building I stated that if officers believed I was breaking the law by entering I would certainly not resist arrest and they were under no threat of violence from me or anyone else in the group. An officer immediately grabbed me, threw me to the ground and kicked me in the side while I was down. I stood back up and the officer shoved me back onto the ground, this was repeated two more times until the officer restrained me. At no time did I resist, wiggle, yell, or do anything that could be perceived as aggression toward him or others present.

Eventually the officer let go of me. Minutes later a representative allowed us to enter and do what we intended. We were there to peacefully deliver a letter and petitions on behalf of thousands of homeowners, demanding to know what happened to billions of dollars in relief promised as part of the settlement with JP Morgan Chase. By contrast, Chase Bank CEO Jamie Dimon is able to walk right in to the Department of Justice and meet with Attorney General Eric Holder face to face with no issues. There is something very wrong with our system of justice in this country.

Sadly this isn't the first time struggling homeowners and displaced Americans have been met with violence at the department of justice. We know we're in a crisis of moral and economic priority when the folks that have stolen wealth and homes from people are given private meetings with the highest officials while those that have been victimized by the thief's are beaten, bared from entering the building, and even arrested.

This evening I will be submitting a letter to US Attorney Sally Yates asking her to meet with me and a few other homeowners to talk about what happened.

Sign the petition & tell the DOJ not to let Wall Street off the hook again. 

March Against Israeli Brutality

Today around 100 Atlantans gathered at Troy Davis Park (Woodruff Park) and marched to the CNN Center to protest the recent revenge killings of Palestinians by Israeli citizens and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). These killings can be seen in the wider context of the ongoing brutality of Israel’s military occupation, which has left six Palestinian children and twenty six Palestinian adults dead in 2014 alone.

Now Israel and Israeli citizens are charging all Palestinians, void of evidence, of killing three Israeli teenagers. This purported crime against Israel has been used to justify dropping bombs on the Palestinian population that is living in open air prisons.  While Israeli citizens have autonomy to travel openly, Palestinians are subjected to apartheid occupation and have very little freedom of movement for things such as, travel or work. Sadly, we continue to see Israel using collective punishment against an entire population for crimes which have not yet been fully understood.

How is the conflict across the globe connected to Georgians? Georgia tax dollars, to the tune of 10million per day, are used to fund mothers dying of bombshells and children being beaten, abducted, and shot by IDF soldiers. It is the responsibility of every American not only to care about where their taxes are going, but to be morally indignant at such crimes against humanity. Some of the F16’s the Israeli military uses are made in Marietta, just outside Atlanta

Today’s march was organized by The Movement to End IsraeliApartheid-Georgia is an Atlanta-based group dedicated to the global campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel until it abides by international law and human rights and supported by a number of groups including American Friends Service Committee.

Vine City Residents Face Immediate Displacement

 Last week we received a call from the Vine City Civic Association. Members VCCA had been working with families that had been living a permanent housing program for people with disabilities. The program is facilitated by Fulton County Office of Emergency and Transitional Housing(OETH) and designed for low income families that are living with serious disabilities in the household.

Several members of the VCCA had called us extremely concerned with Fulton County's treatment of families in the program. VCCA got involved after hearing multiple complaints from women in the program that had become strongly integrated into the Vine City community.

Last week things moved into crisis when residents were informed that they would all have to move out of their homes by June 23rd, something that came of a shock to many of the households.

Today several of the single mothers who live in the program organized a small rally outside their community. They were joined by several members of the Vine City Civic Association in calling on Fulton County to do the right thing and treat them with dignity.

During the rally several Fulton County representatives came to Vine City residents and promised to work on the matter, though after they left a car pulled up and became taking photographs of all the women demonstrating. When residents said they preferred not to be photographed the men in the car said that folks should leave if they didn't want to be photographed. Sadly it turns out the two men in the car work for Fulton County and were driving a truck marked with the Fulton County emblem.


Please SIGN and SHARE the online petition initiated by the community.

AFSC Hosts Moral Monday Retreat

This past weekend AFSC was honored to host a Moral Monday Georgia retreat at our downtown Atlanta office. The retreat was an opportunity to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses, where we have gone and where we need to go, and how to effectively build.

Friday night we also had a special dinner to honor and recognize everyone who put their freedom on the line to spotlight injustice in our state by participating in nonviolent civil disobedience.

Saturday was a day of organizer skill building sessions.

During the 2014 legislative session Moral Monday Georgia launched and managed to mobilize a diverse coalition every week of the session. Moral Monday brought a spot light on a parade of attacks on regular everyday Georgians that denied health care, jobs, funding for our schools, gun safety, workers rights, and a woman's right to control her body. The coalition moved so fast that there was little time to reflect on how best to move forward.

If Moral Monday Georgia is to be a movement not a political moment then taking time to reflect, build skills and strategy is key. AFSC is excited to play a role in bringing people together for that purpose. Forward together, not one step back.

Community Victory For Small Business!

Thanks to all the community support, the sisters of DBABS Construction are celebrating their successful campaign with Occupy Our Homes Atlanta! American Friends Service Committee has been excited to play a role in organizing the campaign alongside Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and we’re so excited that this longtime locally owned business will not have to close their doors!

 Thousands of petition signatures, phone calls to bank executives, and spirited weekly demonstrations outside the bank have produced a positive outcome for this family-owned local business. Great work!!!

Brunetta, one of the owners, sent along this message and we want to pass it along to you: “The entire family of DBABS Construction is pleased to announce that your willingness to stand with us has saved our small business! This successful outcome to our campaign would not have been possible without all of you! Thank you all! We are so grateful that in the end all parties were willing to sit down and find a solution that sees the importance of our small business remaining in a position to survive and thrive. We’ve reached a deal that will keep DBABS in our building for years to come!”

Campaigns that end with keeping people in their homes, farms operating, churches in service, and small businesses’ doors open everyone wins! AFSC is very proud to have been a part of DBABS’ fight and we couldn’t have done it without community help. 

Over the next few months we hope to increase our engagement with Occupy Our Homes Atlanta as their model continues to show solid results for Atlantan’s struggling against unjust lending practices and predatory landlords.

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta hold an open weekly meeting every Thursday at 7pm at our downtown office(60 Walton Street, Atlanta 30303) that we invite to come out to!

DBABS plans to honor those that help support the campaign to save the small business at the Christian Family Worship Center (1401 Hosea L. Williams Drive, Atl., 30317 ) this Sunday at 11am.