Speakers from the New York tenants' group Movement for Justice in El Barrio, and Edinburgh’s Save Our Old Town campaign, pledged their support for each other via a live web link at the Edinburgh Forum on 18th May.  In resisting gentrification and opposing the expulsion of working class people from the city centre, MJB and SOOT have a surprising amount in common. 

Juan of the Movement for Justice in El Barrio (MJB), and Catriona and Julie from Save Our Old Town (SOOT), stressed that they looked forward to meeting in person in October.  An MJB delegation will then travel here to continue the struggle against their landlord - UK-based multinational Dawnay Day. "We will be demonstrating at Dawnay Day's London HQ on 4th October," declared Juan. And hopefully, he continued, a demonstration in solidarity with the MJB tenants - mainly poor Mexican immigrants - would also take place in Scotland.

 Movement for Justice in El Barrio: Campaign

Juan, representing the MJB, spoke first. Having been detained earlier in the month by racist immigration officials and denied entry to the UK, he spoke to the assembled group over video-link about the movement’s founding. The MJB had began following a campaign by the multi-millionaire landlord Steven Kessner, who owned 47 buildings in East Harlem, to make his tenants quit their leases. His aim was to, by allowing conditions in the housing to worsen and refusing to improve matters, make the tenants quit their leases, following which new lease terms could be negotiated and rents massively increased. Faced with this, the residents of East Harlem, known as ‘El Barrio’, began to organize in resistance.

This organization took a variety of forms. The different buildings would organize within committees within themselves and adopt different strategies. Some would pursue legal remedies through the courts, while others would expose the injustice of their situation through the mass media, or organize demonstrations to gain solidarity. After two years of work they succeeded in removing Kessner, who sold the property to a UK development firm.

Despite this victory, MJB’s problems did not end here. Despite remaining in run-down, ill-equipped housing desperately in need of repair and support, the UK firm Dawney, Day has instead announced it’s plans to remove the community, initiate a project of intense gentrification, and increase tenants' rents tenfold. The company's dirty tricks have included imposing illegal false charges for services they have not provided. As you might expect this has been met with steadfast resistance from the community that continues to this day.

Recently the tenants' campaign stepped up a gear with the launch of the "International Campaign in Defence of the Barrio" at a demo outside New York City Hall - as portrayed in a short film shown at the meeting.

It is important to note that the movement is not simply concerned with the current struggle in East Harlem. Rather, it sees the problem it confronts as a much deeper problem of capitalism and an economy that prioritizes profit above all else.

Alongside the inspiring stories of resistance, it was remarkable to hear about MJB’s philosophies of organization and integration. Juan was emphatic in the point that, while many rebellions in the past have centered around leaders and figures of authority, the Movement was wholeheartedly opposed to this, preferring to allow individuals to speak from their own experience, and empower themselves.

This resistance to dogma and authority was complemented by the movement’s socially progressive attitudes. Being composed mostly of immigrants, members of the MJB understood the harmfulness of discrimination and sought to erode the divisions of race, gender and sexuality in the Barrio, as they served no one but their enemies.  In their own words: "For Movement for Justice in El  Barrio, the struggle for justice means fighting for the liberation of women, immigrants, lesbians, people of color, gays and the transgender community."

Save Our Old Town

The second speakers, Catriona and Julie, represented the Campaign to Save Our Old Town.

This campaign began following the council’s decision to sell land owned by the ‘common good’ to a developing company for a vastly undervalued sum. The land in question hosts some of Edinburgh’s oldest buildings and provides secure housing for many of its residents ; many of these buildings are, if the Council’s decision is upheld by Scottish Ministers, to be demolished. In their place will be erected the already clichéd urban eyesores that can be found in any city: conference centres, five star hotels, and shopping centres for wealthy tourists.

Having campaigned tirelessly for 3 years, the movement to Save the Old Town is hosting a series of events - The Canongate Project scotland.indymedia.org/node/10107 - during May and June to highlight the value of the area and get support for their cause. The project has opened up a community shop at 8 St Marys Street where many events are being held. A highlight will be a Street Party on East Market Street on Saturday 28 June.

Further, they want to obtain a better knowledge of all the ‘common good’ land in Edinburgh with a view to keeping it in the hands of and for the benefit of the cities residents.  The "Common Good Day " on Saturday 24th May will bring together folk from all Scotland to continue reclaiming land and assets belonging to the people.

In conclusion, both Julie and Catriona insisted the opposition to "Caltongate" would continue whatever the Scottish Ministers decided: "We live here and we're not going away."

The campaign and details about upcoming events can be reached at: http://www.eh8.org.uk/

Last Sunday's meeting at Edinburgh’s Quaker Meeting House followed successful meetings featuring the MJB in Aberdeen on 16th May and in Glasgow, as part of the Radical Independent Bookfair, on 17th May. Both also featured a live web link between Juan and enthusiastic audiences, who were able to ask questions and discuss both Juan's talk and the short films presented on the Movement for Justice in El Barrio.

At the Aberdeen meeting participants were inspired to propose the formation of MJB support committees which could maintain contact with each other and the MJB through an email list, in the build up to October's week of activities. Among the points raised at the well-attended Glasgow meeting, participants in the Glasgow Residents Network were keen to compare tactics, as they too faced an uncaring landlord in Glasgow Housing Association.

Movement for Justice in El Barrio can be contacted at movementforjusticeinelbarrio@yahoo.com and supporters in Scotland (and England and Wales) via Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group at edinchiapas@yahoo.co.uk

The next Forum meeting will feature participants in this summer's Climate Camp explaining the neccessity of direct action on this crucial question.  It will take place at the Quakers Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh at 7pm on Sunday 29th June.

Nearer the time there will be more info at the Forum site http://forumcollective.wordpress.com