Meeting demands end to foreclosures

“Stop Foreclosures and Evictions, Moratorium Now!” was the theme of a June 23 meeting in Milwaukee hosted by the Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement. Among the attendees were community members from throughout Wisconsin, including members of Occupy Wall Street; activists from Detroit with the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions & Utility Shutoffs; and Larry Hales, a national leader of the Bail Out The People Movement.

There have been 20,000 foreclosures in Milwaukee since 2007, most of them in the central city, where the majority of African Americans reside, and tens of thousands more statewide. Participants discussed vic­tories against the banks on behalf of homeowners in Detroit and other cities. They suggested other creative actions to fight foreclosures and evictions by the racist banks and to win a moratorium or halt on throwing people out of their homes. Speakers also addressed issues such as the U.S.-supported coup in Paraguay, the recall movement in Wisconsin, police brutality, the concept of people’s power assemblies, organizing for the March on Wall Street South during the Democratic National Convention, and a new Service Employees union campaign to win a $10 minimum wage. The event was held at the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 hall.

— Report and photo by Bryan G. Pfeifer