Benefit: Films and Music We are raising money to get a volunteer caravan on the road to New Orleans AND for housing rights organizing work
Wednesday January 23rd 7pm
Meg Perry Center
644 Congress St.
Portland, ME
Donation $5-20
or bring your checkbook and bring your friends!
Films will be shown at 7pm, followed by questions and discussion. Video shorts will bring people up to date on the struggle for the Right to Return to New Orleans.
Learn about the International Solidarity Days of Action and what you can do to stand up with New Orleans.
Music at 8:30
Weatherbeaten
Peter Hazen
the Scrapes
2.5 years after Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast. New Orleans citizens have not been given the right to return. The people are in a severe housing, human and civil rights crisis.
Rents skyrocketed immediately after the Hurricanes and continue to remain as high as rents in Boston or New York City. In addition, Middle class homeowners are being evicted from their FEMA trailers. Low-income and working class people are unable to find affordable housing. New Orleans homeless population has swelled to an estimated at minimum 12,000, with encampments springing up under freeway overpasses, in parks, and even across from NOLA City Hall. Now over 4,000 units of public housing have been slated for demolition.
On December 20th, 2007, the New Orleans City Council approved requests from Housing and Urban Development, HUD and the Housing Authority of New Orleans, HANO, to demolish the four major public housing units in the city. The Head of HUD, Alphonso Jackson, is currently under investigation for corruption in relation to this illegal development contract. In essence, private developers and corrupt legislators are organizing to finally redevelop New Orleans for commercial interests.
This has never stopped being a national Civil Rights crisis. Now these neighborhoods, recently occupied by majority people of color, are being taken from the edge of recovery and put on the auction block.
The mass forced displacement of a human beings is an illegal act! Join us in saying Not in Palestine! Not in New Orleans!
Volunteer delegation leaving from Maine
can be reached at hawc [at] riseup [dot] net
http://www.peoplesfreespace.org/hurricanerelief
http://www.peopleshurricane.org
http://www.nodozers.org
