Singing Foreclosure Protesters Occupy Queens Courtroom

[xchrom]

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/02/singing_foreclo.php

The third "People's Bailout", a series of singing protests organized by activist group Organizing for Occupation that aims to disrupt the court foreclosure proceedings, took place this morning at 11am at the Queens Supreme Court. Forty-two people showed up for the movement and, in three separate batches, interrupted the auction process by standing and singing "Mr. Auctioneer".

With the movement advertised heavily on social media the last several days, the courts were prepared. Over 20 court guards patrolled the courtroom, and arrests were made within seconds of song outbursts. Twenty three people, including some who did not sing but were merely standing up, were arrested and escorted out of the court room in rapid
succession. Deborah Seabrook, a 63-year-old activist of sorts who has been monitoring foreclosure proceedings for the past nine years under various groups, called the reactions by court guards "overkill".

"I've never seen this many guards in one room before," said Seabrook, who attended on her own and was not part of the People's Bailout movement.

Madeline Nelson, an unemployed activist who attended today's event as well as last month's blockade action in Brooklyn, said the guards were "rougher and quicker to act than last time".

mr auctioneer

[unionworks]

1. K&R

...Solidarity!

[xchrom]

2. you know...some people are really trying... trying damn hard

to get the system to react like human beings -- remind them who it is they work for.

in spite of all the 'concern' that seems to be spreading.

solidarity.

[Magoo48]

3. Solidarity indeed.....along with admiration and support

[mdmc]

4. ..

[mdmc]

5. ..