Miami Dispatch J20: March on the Mayors Conference

View the March on the Mayors photos at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82285926@N00/sets/72157605736230317/

Skeletons danced in the sky above the restless crowd gathered in the parking lot of the Bethel A & E Church in Overtown, the historic African-American neighborhood in Miami. Over 350 resident representatives of seven U.S. cities bore cardboard coffins with their cities' name blazing in red paint across the side. A NOLA second-line, To Be Continued?, blared out old standards pushing the crowd forward. As the March on the Mayors took the streets in Miami, uniting urban struggles for racial and economic justice from across the country under the demand for a democratic human Right to the City, the sky opened. But oceans of rain could not drown the spirit of the crowd.

Marchers and residents from seven mega-metropolitan regions in the United States, carried umbrellas painted with their messages. From community control of land and stopping slumlords, to queer rights and the right to return for Katrina and Rita Survivors the messages all converged expressing a growing movement for racial justice, economic justice, and self-determination in U.S. Cities.

Bringing up the rear of the march was the Katrina Rita Ville Express, a FEMA trailer touring the country over the next year to raise awareness of the ongoing nature of the crisis in the region, and the continued lack of coherent government action to rebuild the region, particularly to rebuild in a manner that meets the needs of its poor and residents of color.

When the march reached the InterContinental Hotel representatives of different cities took the stage. The rain came down heavier and the sea of umbrellas tightened up creating a common shelter from the driving storm. Spirits and hope remained high and the familiarity of the moment wasn't lost on the dripping crowd.

Ursula Price, of Safe Street / Strong Communities (New Orleans) took the stage "I ain’t going to drown on that levy, and you ain’t going to break my back," she called. The crowds roared thunderously, and like the movement they are building, they stood stronger together against the storm, defiant and fighting.
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* SUSHMA SHETH of the Miami Workers Center and DENISE PERRY of Power U Center wrote an editorial piece for the Miami Herald. Titled “Reclaim cities”. You can view it at http://theworkerscenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=49

* The Miami Herald also wrote an article “Disparate voices converge” about the Mayors Conference and the “Rights to the City” march on the mayors. You can view the article at http://theworkerscenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120&Itemid=51

Once again Miami, Florida and the pigs that support that Fascist State lived up their reputation. What may become the Miami Model Phase 2 was in effect on Friday, both inside and outside of the Mayors Conference, not with the strong showing of riot clad pigs but with a subtle but strong attack on the first amendment.

1. Press- Unless you were from the corporate media you were removed from the conference, sometimes forcefully or arrested.

2. Assembly:

2A- The city and the police used the excuse that the Mayors Conference had the permit to Bay Front Park, therefore denying any groups a permit for an event in that area. Basically it became a large security zone with the park being empty of any official event from the Conference.
2B- Peace Flotilla: The water pigs would not let any boats get within sight or sound of Vizcaya.

3. Speech: The corporate media gave little or no coverage to our event.

In other words it was bad. The only good part was on the street in front of Vizcaya where the Mayors were forced to see us and hear our message.

Peace all,

The No War in Iran resolution passed out of the International Affairs committee today by a 7-5 vote at the US Conference of Mayors in Miami.

Mayors Joy Cooper of Hallandale Beach, Jennifer Hosterman of Pleasanton, William Euille of Alexandria and Anthony Santos of San Leandro spoke in favor of the resolution. Those who spoke out against the resolution felt it was politically divisive and would split the US Conference of Mayors by creating major debate and disruption like the Iraq Bring the Troops Home resolution, which was introduced last year and caused a 2 hour debate. Meanwhile, others went on to say Iran is not democratic and this resolution is disrespectful to our troops, but North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady, a former Marine and father of a veteran, explained to not confuse patriotism with support for the government and quoted Thomas Jefferson, "dissent is the greatest form of patriotism."

Next, the No War on Iran resolution goes to the conference floor on Monday at 10:00am EST. It's suggested to call or email all the mayors who are in attendance: http://www.usmayors .org/76thAnnualM eeting/preregist eredmayors. asp

With hope & struggle,
Nancy

No War in Iran Heros for Peace:

The Honorable Bob Kiss
Mayor of Burlington, VT

The Honorable Joy Cooper
Mayor of Hallandale Beach, FL

The Honorable Marty Blum
Mayor of Santa Barbara, CA

The Honorable Dan Coody
Mayor of Fayetteville, AR

The Honorable Kevin Foy
Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC

The Honorable Gayle McLaughlin
Mayor of Richmond, CA

The Honorable Kitty Piercy
Mayor of Eugene, OR

The Honorable Elaine Walker
Mayor of Bowling Green, KY

The Honorable Jeff Prang
Mayor of West Hollywood, CA

The Honorable Rhine McLin
Mayor of Dayton, OH

The Honorable Jennifer Hosterman
Mayor of Pleasanton, CA

The Honorable Laurel Lunt Prussing
Mayor of Urbana, IL

The Honorable Anthony B Santos
Mayor of San Leandro, CA

The Honorable J. Christian Bollwage
Mayor of Elizabeth, NJ

The Honorable Scott J. Brook
Mayor of Coral Springs, FL

The Honorable Bruce R. Williams
Mayor of Takoma Park, MD

The Honorable William D. 'Bill' Euille
Mayor of Alexandria, VA

The Honorable R.T. Rybak
Mayor of Minneapolis, MN

The Honorable Dave Norris
Mayor of Charlottesville, VA

The Honorable James M. Baker
Mayor of Wilmington, DE

The Honorable Carolyn K. Peterson
Mayor of Ithaca, NY

The Honorable Craig Covey
Mayor of Ferndale, MI

The Honorable E. Denise Simmons
Mayor of Cambridge, MA

The Honorable N. Dale Thompson
Mayor of Condon, OR

March on the Mayors protest proceeds through downpour
By Carlos Miller

Fortunately, my Canon TX1 is still under warranty. And fortunately, I put my two Canon 5Ds under plastic wrap as soon as the downpour came because they are not under warranty.

And fortunately, I was able to put together a five-minute video of last Friday’s protest at the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s in downtown Miami as well as a few photos, despite water seeping into the microphone of the TX1 and rendering it unable to record audio.

Yes, it was a wet one, all right.

But despite the rain, more than 250 protesters from various cities throughout the United States marched from Overtown to the Intercontinental Hotel in a New Orleans style funeral procession. They sang and danced and chanted while a jazz band played and marched.

The protesters were demanding that the mayors attend to the real issues affecting American cities, especially affordable housing.

But if history is any indicator, these demands will fall on deaf ears.

* View the photos & video of March on the Mayors protest at
http://carlosmiller .com/2008/ 06/23/march- on-the-mayors- protest-proceeds -through- downpour/