‘No housing, no peace!’

“They say gentrify, we say unify!” shouted protesters on Dec. 16 in East Harlem, New York City, as four groups— Community Voices Heard, Community Board 11, Tenants and Neighbors and Picture The Homeless— marched through the housing projects of mostly Black and Latino/a neighborhoods. “Demands for affordable housing grow,” as PTH organizer, Maria, explained at the rally following the march. Maria, who is homeless, stated, “Thousands of the poor have been forced out of their homes.”

The protest called for unity in this struggle for housing for all working-class and oppressed people. As the militant action showed, the 600 stalled or largely empty NYC luxury apartments may soon face a takeover by those who say that decent housing is a human right.