Fighting Gentification in Harlem – and Hackney

By Hackney Solidarity NetworkJuan Haro, a speaker from the Movement for Justice in El Barrio will talkin Dalston, London about their struggle against displacement bygentrification in Harlem, New York city.On Saturday the 24th of May @ Passing Clouds, on Richmond Rd, just offKingsland road in Dalston, 10 mins from Dalston Kingsland Station. Buses:149, 242, 243, 67.Free or donation entry to talk from 7.00pmFollowed by Latin bands and DJs hosted by Movimientos at around 9pm “Fromfolkloric to electronic Movimientos is the sound of London’s Latinalternative”. (£5 entry)Dalston, like many other parts of London is undergoing development thatwill mean rent rises for tenants already struggling to pay extortionateLondon rents. When an area becomes appealing for investors and“regeneration” it’s those people with money who end up enjoying the newhousing, expensive cafes and shops, and the people with less money who endup having to move further away from the centre of the city or who, if theystay, lose the shops, cafes and resources they rely on.Movement for Justice, the organization of tenants in Harlem, New York thathave been struggling against the landlords that want to price them out oftheir area say;“This displacement is created by the greed, ambition and violence of aglobal empire of money that seeks to take total control of all the land,labor and life on earth. Here in El Barrio (East Harlem, New York City),landlords, multi-national corporations and local, state and federalpoliticians and institutions want to force upon us their culture of money,they want to displace poor families and rent their apartments to richpeople, white people with money. They want to change the look of ourneighborhood, with the excuse of “developing the community.”The talk will explore issues around resisting gentrification and the modelof organization that Movement for Justice have used to work with eachother – an inspiring and educational example from across the Atlantic thatwe could learn from in London.“Together, we make our dignity resistance and we fight back against theactions of capitalist landlords and multinational corporations who aredisplacing poor families from our neighborhood. We fight back locally andacross borders. We fight back against local politicians that refuse togovern by obeying the will of the people. We fight back against thegovernment institutions that enforce a global economic, social andpolitical system that seeks to destroy humanity.”Talk organized by Hackney Solidarity Network, Hackney Independent,Haringey Solidarity Group and London Coalition Against Poverty.Contact: hackneysolidarity@hotmail.co.uk