Detroit protest denounces utility shutoffs after family dies

Protesters from throughout southeastern Michigan and beyond, including Lansing, converged on the brand-new multimillion-dollar DTE Energy building in downtown Detroit July 24 to demand justice for the Reed-Owens family and an immediate moratorium on utility shutoffs.

WW photo: Alan Pollock

Four members of this African-American family died of carbon monoxide poisoning July 16 while using a gas-powered generator in their home when the billion-dollar corporation shut off their electricity. The company had been notified that the family had filed for bankruptcy and violated their own rules by shutting off the electricity.

Demonstrators also demanded that Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm declare an immediate state of emergency because Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the United States and epidemic levels of foreclosures, evictions, utility shutoffs and plant closings.

Representatives of Moratorium NOW! Coalition, sponsors of the protest, met with DTE officials July 23 to press their demands, but were rejected outright by the corporate bosses. At the meeting DTE officials admitted to the high crimes of cutting off the gas and electricity of 130,000 homes annually throughout the state of Michigan and putting at risk hundreds of thousands of poor and working people, in particular children, those with health challenges and the elderly. DTE has $24.6 billion in assets. In 2008 it had $9.3 billion in revenue and a net income of $546 million.