Here's more on yesterday's CHARAS holiday party and community potluck that ended with several arrests. Per the description from YouTube:
A community get together at CHARAS/El Bohio marking the 10th anniversary of the eviction from the building at 605 E. 9th St in the East Village/Lower East Side, New York City.
The party, led by the Hungry March Band, marched over from Tompkins Square Park to the boarded up building. Performers roped off an impromptu stage and began entertaining the crowd. Perfomers included Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping "Earthalujah" choir; Great Small Works performing "the true story of charas"; and several speakers including carlos chino garcia. The occupy wall street statue of liberty puppet also made an appearance.
At the end the crowd was asked to join in on a protest action involving banging on the blue construction fence with wooden sticks. As they did so, the police began mobilizing and several arrests were made. Gregg Singer the developer was also seen walking past the building.
The arrests start at the 21-minute mark. The Observer reported that the NYPD arrested three people.
Previously on EV Grieve:
'CHARAS Comes Home For The Holidays' ends with arrests
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood
'Public Assembly' for the former P.S. 64 on Friday
Nice slanted reportage by the Observer that disparages those demonstrating against the unprecedented sweetheart deal given to developer Gregg Singer by the outgoing Giuiani Administration, whereby the city held financing on this auctioned property and gave Singer a money back guarantee!
ReplyDeleteSinger has sat on the former Charas community center for ten years now, allowing it to deteriorate, while watching the value of the property increase.
The sale to Singer should be nullified and Charas should be returned to the community group that operated it for more than twenty years, long before it was fashionable, stylish and "hip" to live in the "East Village."
The upset and clueless interloper at the end of the demonstration, incorrectly identified in the video as Gregg Singer, is actually "Dr. " Bill Jones of the Tompkins Square Gospel Fellowship around the corner from CHARAS: http://www.nygm.org/about_nygm_staff.asp His ridiculous suggestion that the community should "just get together and buy the building" shows what a dupe for business interests supposedly religious people can be. He brought two of his frighteningly indoctrinated sons along. From their words, one would assume they adhere to a belief in the odious "prosperity gospel".
ReplyDeletei support this cause 100%. i miss charas, we used to do plays there, and i remember how awful it was when giuliani swept down like an evil vulture and stole it away for his evil developer buddy. it's totally wrong what happened here and that space should be rightfully restored to the community. we need it now more than ever!
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