Right to the City Alliance disrupts Bloomberg business summit in NY
Thanks to Cuz for this.
Right to the City Alliance disrupts Bloomberg conference with businessmen.
[Bloomberg] stood stone-faced as the protesters filed in and surrounded several of the tables packed with bankers, developers and other business leaders who had paid up to $249 a head to hear him and others speak. (The mayor might have perfected his nonchalance on Monday, when he also managed to remain cool after the groundhog attack.)
One of the protesters, Wanda Imasuen, of the Brooklyn-based organization Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, said that it was the exclusivity of the audience that spurred hers and several other groups representing low-income and immigrant city residents to disrupt the event.
“We don’t have a voice, we’re not at the table and we demand to be at the table,” Ms. Imasuen said. “We demand that the mayor gives us a meeting, not for corporate America to decide the fate of all New Yorkers.”
From the people at FIERCE:
Mayor Bloomberg has invited the CEOs of major corporations (you know the names: J.P. Morgan Chase, etc) to participate in a conference on “The Future of NY.” No, we weren’t invited. That’s the problem…This grouping of New York’s political and business elite are developing “recommendations on how to strengthen the City’s economy” without the input of the people of New York.
The policy recommendations that come out of today’s “The Future of NY” conference could have a serious impact on the lives of people most impacted by the current economic crisis, such as homeless and low-income New Yorkers. Right to the City-NY is here to remind Mayor Bloomberg that WE are the future of New York, and have the right to be involved in the decision-making process that affects our lives and communities.
RTTC-NY demands that Mayor Bloomberg recognize the right of low-income people to participate in any discussion about “strengthening” the city’s economic future.
RTTC-NY demands that Mayor Bloomberg extend the same courtesy to us that he has shown the business elite of New York by organizing a convention of low-income New Yorkers to produce policy recommendations that actually reflect community priorities
[Update 2]
Full Video Inside Ballroom (before they enter)
Notable quote: [Bloomberg] “I think they’re right. In most other countries they throw ‘em in the slammer. This is democracy.” [Knowing, self-indulgent chuckles from the audience, perhaps tinged with regret that they are unable to do so. But wait! Six individuals were thrown in the slammer.]
Additional infos here :
http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2009/02/103291.html
http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2009/02/103337.html
Posted on February 12th, 2009 under Right to the City, movements, USA • Tags: Resistance, Right to the City, Social Justice. • 
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