[Dryerase] AGR--DC activists occupy abandoned school

[Shawn G]

Asheville Global Report
www.AGRnews.org

After eviction DC activists occupy abandoned school

By Shawn Gaynor

Aug. 13 (AGR)-- Members of Olive Branch Community’s House, a DC based 
anti-poverty group, were evicted last Wednesday by US Marshals and DC Metro 
police officers, sparking protests, demands for poverty relief, and an 
occupation of the Lincoln School, which has stood abandon for twenty years.  
One house resident called the eviction “political repression” aimed at their 
fight against poverty. The eviction came after the city inspected the 
building for code and health violations.
Olive Branch members, who routinely bear witness to evictions during there 
anti-poverty work, say the eviction of the Community’s House was very 
unusual.
"They (the police) do not normally come in with guns loaded and cocked and 
ready. They don't normally have a canine on standby to sic upon us. Those 
are both very unusual aspects of this eviction, which goes hand in hand with 
the unusual aspects of the way that the house inspection went on. It goes 
along with the mayor's intervention in the
process by having sent them, by having sent a representative to the first 
housing inspection,” said Bork, a long time resident.
Household members reported the removal of several boxes of property from the 
house by police.  While an eviction notice was served to the house, a 
warrant, which police Lieutenant Michael Smith of the Metro Police 
Department confirmed police did not have, is legally required to search and 
remove evidence.
The Olive Branch had originally been given a 60-day notice to vacate the 
building, which was scheduled to end on Aug. 12, five days after the 
eviction took place.
For decades Olive Branch had provided, among other services, shelter and 
food to DC’s homeless population.
Activists from Olive Branch quickly responded to the eviction.  In response 
they have formed a coalition with other local anti-poverty groups called 
Mayday DC, and on Friday took action by occupying the long abandoned 
Franklin School.
“Over 300 homeless frequent the eight-block area surrounding Franklin 
School, which nevertheless remained chained until this morning,” read a 
statement from the new coalition.
Up to 250 people watched as police cut their way into the barricaded 
building.  Banners were hung from the building saying, “Evict the Mayor,” 
and "Give us housing or we'll take it ourselves!"
"Poverty and gentrification are overwhelming the residents of Washington, 
DC," said Jamie Lougher, a Mayday DC organizer and former Olive Branch 
resident. "Over the past 10 years the number of children living in poverty  
in the district has increased 29%. Hundreds of families in Columbia Heights 
alone have been forced from their homes by housing inspectors for living in 
overcrowded substandard housing. Meanwhile, the city has done nothing to 
create and preserve affordable housing as thousands of units are lost to 
gentrifiers -- developers of luxury buildings.”
Activists made several demands of the city, including a living wage and a 
commitment to creating affordable housing.
Protesters also demanded that the city provide La Casa, DC’s only bilingual 
drug treatment shelter, with a permanent site.  La Casa was recently a 
victim of city cutbacks on human services.
After several hours, police were able to enter the barricaded building and 
arrest the four activists occupying the former school.  The were charged 
with Illegal Entry, a misdemeanor. Their trial will start on October 3.

Additional information for this story was provided by DC Indymedia




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