Metro Justice

As you may or may not know, some traditionalist Gayogohón' (commonly known as Cayuga) families living in their homeland on the western shores of Cayuga Lake... are being threatened with eviction by the man the Bureau of Indian Affairs recognizes as federal representative (Clint Halftown). The titleholders (hereditary chiefs and clan mothers) have made it clear that he no longer represents them, and hasn't for over a decade now. Beginning in February of last year, he seized and demolished their longhouse, a beautiful garden that was in the shape of the Hiawatha wampum belt, a Gayogohón' language immersion daycare, revenue- creating businesses, and many other buildings in his attempt to force the traditionalists' submission. While his hired public relations representative has assured the press that Clint will continue to observe the statewide eviction moratorium (expiring August 31), the police force that he created continues to intimidate the 14 families who have been served eviction notices. People from the surrounding areas have come together to camp outside some of their homes in solidarity, and as a deterrent. So far it has been successful, but just yesterday the Cayuga Nation police were seen taking pictures of one of the homes marked for seizure. The number of people camping has steadily dwindled since we've passed the four-week mark, and those who have been camping consistently are close to burn out since most new people only camp for one night and not continually. Some high school students who have been camping almost every single night are in the middle of finals week and cannot come right now. We really need more folks to come out and support our indigenous neighbors in this long- standing fight against colonization. Please fill out this form to sign up: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSc4fNkQ1lnPg_jZHQ/viewform Feel free to ask us any questions & we hope to see some of you there! For anyone unable to make it down, the Gayogohón' traditional leadership is also asking for funds to support in rebuilding - more information is in this letter https://docs.google.com//1FadvtvkNWdBenUcIIb6nEj6QQI/edit Here is some additional background: https://www.liberationnews.org/the-gayogo%cc%b1ho%ea%9e%89/ https://gayogohono.org/#about https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=339004754276663&id=100138594829948

So we know that greenhouse gasses are bad for the environment and that energy production is one of the worst producers, but why hasn’t this changed? Although some progressive legislation has been passed in NYS, the changes have been slow and we aren’t feeling any of this change locally. If we’re going to hit these goals we need a major upheaval in our energy infrastructure and prevent those in power from being bought off by corporations. Public power will put energy decisions... in the hands of the community and moving away from a for-profit system will allow us to invest additional funds into a green transition, not the pockets of wealthy investors. Keep up with our page next week to learn about the 2 bills that will help RED achieve our goals in Rochester as well as helping NYS hit the goals of the CLCPA. -------------------------- Sources NY State CLCPA Goals NYC Eco-Socialists How Fossil Fuel Companies Bought off NY Democrats NRDC NY Gives a Big Boost to Renewable Energy RG&E Environmental Disclosure

From Dene territories in Northern Alberta to Indigenous lands along the Gulf of Mexico, we stood hand-in-hand to protect the next seven generations of life,... the water and our communities from this dirty tar sands pipeline. And that struggle is vindicated. This is not the end - but merely the beginning of further victories. https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/keystone-is-xl-is-dead

At midnight before the end of the legislative session, 9 NY State Assembly Members hosted a speak-out in support of #PassNYHealth on the steps of the Capito...l. THANK YOU for being the courageous leaders we need Demond Meeks Zohran Kwame Mamdani Jessica González-Rojas Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes Amanda Septimo Khaleel Anderson Harvey Epstein Anna Kelles Assemblymember Emily Gallagher Bring this bill to a vote Carl Heastie Andrea Stewart-Cousins - https://p2a.co/DuyoWvN See more

In light of Kamala Harris's comments urging people not to seek asylum in the United States, we revisit Marcy Angeles' words in "Rejecting Settler Logic: An Indi...genous View of American Borders" "We see this desire to own, dominate and extract in the way that settler-colonial borders are militarized. It is well documented how the U.S.-Mexico border is a site of trauma, riddled with unmarked graves of people who tried to cross, patrolled by agents who kick aside water jugs meant for migrants. For migrants, many of whom are Indigenous to this hemisphere, attempts at passing the border are grounds for the U.S. government to separate family members or place them in detention, or both. Both the U.S. and Mexican governments have an interest in maintaining control over their colonial borders, and cooperate together to control migrants.

Couldn't make it to the #PassNYHealth mobilization? CONTACT YOUR REPS NOW, stand with protestors and speak out for universal health care: https://p2a.co/DuyoWvN

When asked what he thinks is at the root of the controversy, long-time criminal justice reform organizer Victor Pate says, "I believe that they don't want people who have seen the worst of our system to be a part of changing the system." "Because we know from being directly impacted what type of policies--especially as you talk about prisons and jails and criminal justice--should be passed to make it more transformative, more restorative, and more equitable," Pate says. "They don't want to hear from us because we could change this miserable system. It's as simple as that."

From an email sent by Mary Lupien: Policing Survey https://www.cityofrochester.gov/policesurvey/ The City of Rochester released a Policing Survey last night with the an important goal: ... to begin a collaborative and open process to ensure that the future of policing is driven by our citizens. This survey will help us gain an understanding of the community’s support for recent proposals to reform our police department and guide our efforts. ... However, the wording of the questions, instead of seeking understanding, seems to attempt to influence the survey responses in favor of recent contentious city council legislation around new substations, more police funding and paying the Wilmer Hale law firm 250k to review our RPD policies and procedures and make recommendations. I am advocating for this survey to be pulled back in order for the questions to be made more neutral and to allow for comments for each question. These issues are nuanced and require more than just a Yes or No answer. If you chose to complete the survey and don't feel like the questions encapsulate the answer you'd like to give, others have suggested answering "Unsure" and adding your thoughts on the questions in the comments. https://www.cityofrochester.gov/policesurvey/

Today the tenants of Rochester demanded justice for our neighbors facing eviction. We rallied outside the courthouse with tenants facing eviction, community mem...bers, Assemblymember Harry Bronson, Jeremy Cooney, lawyers from The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, and members of Free The People Roc. Justice was served for one tenant Tafaya, whose case was dismissed!! We will continue to fight for Chris who has another court date next week. Follow us here for info on the new court date. Shoutout to Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. for supporting tenants today!! #EvictionFreeNY #CancelRent #StopMyEviction

Delegates unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling on the National AFL-CIO to "prepare for and enact a general strike of all working people, if necessary, to ensure a Constitutionally mandated peaceful transition of power."

Rally called by BENTE Local 2419 in response to cuts to healthcare during the pandemic!! Spread far and wide! AFSCME Council 66

We are speaking up in support of the PAB and against a City plan to hire outside corporate counsel to do what should be the PAB's job - to review RPD policy and... recommend changes. Please call City Council at (585) 428-7538 today and tomorrow and make your voice heard! -PAB already has the power to review and recommend RPD policy. The PAB should be conducting this policy review. -The $250,000 initial cost for WilmerHale is more than half of the entire $400,000 budget for the PAB. And the cost of contracting with WilmerHale will likely balloon like in other cities. Baltimore spent $2.2 Million on a report that was never finished and Chicago spent $2.67 Million. People on the ground were not satisfied with WilmerHale's work. -Not enough time was given for the community to make comments on this legislation. The first public discussion of hiring WilmerHale occurred two weeks ago, and City Council plans to vote on Tuesday 10/13. -WilmerHale has been involved in high profile misconduct themselves when they failed to recuse themselves from clear conflicts of interest. -We already know the problems with RPD and have the knowledge in our own community. We don’t need an outside corporate law firm to provide a watered-down report.

Weather update! We will still be gathering at the Canalside Shelter in Genesee Valley Park (https://bit.ly/canalside_gvp) for our "Fund Healthcare Not Police" event today from 2 - 3:30 PM! We checked the weather forecast radar, and it will not start raining at our location until after 3:30 PM, when the event ends. The rain forecasted is also light, and the shelter at our event should keep us safe and dry if it there is still some rain during the event. Please wear a mask! Let's get to work for universal healthcare together! See you there.

Tomorrow is the day! Saturday, 2-3:30 PM at Genesee Valley Park at the Canalside Shelter. We're excited to build with you to make healthcare is a human right! If you haven't already, please RSVP here right away: metrojustice.org/blackhealthmatters.

The Mayor and Rochester City Council want to spend $250,000 to hire the WilmerHale law firm to reform police training in Rochester. WilmerHale represents corpor...ations like Monsanto, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Boeing. The last thing we need is a corporate law firm to recommend minor tweaks to RPD training when what we’re calling for--what we’ve always been calling for all along--is systemic change that will end the crisis of police violence and mass incarceration. The solutions and expertise we need is right here. The Police Accountability Board was passed for this exact reason: to review policies and practices. But the Mayor and City Council would rather listen to high-priced lawyers than the people in our own community. We call on Rochester City Council and Mayor Warren to reject this proposal and commit to divesting from police and prisons, and investing in mental health services, education, youth employment, harm reduction, and violence interruption programs.

Barbara Rivera, of the Rochester City-Wide Tenant Union, expects the new program here to have the same effect. The initiative has been a wish list item for the ...Tenant Union for years. It’s going to level out the playing field a little bit for tenants, just to make it fair, Rivera said. If a landlord is being represented by a lawyer, why shouldn’t a tenant? Just so they know what to do to move forward and what exactly is happening.

We're less than a week away! We should be funding comprehensive universal healthcare and mental health response teams: things that actually keep our communities safe and healthy. We can do this if we fight together for the NY Health Act which will provide universal, comprehensive care to everyone! We need to build together now and find a role for each of us in the movement so that we are ready to act when the legislature goes back into session in January. RSVP here: https://www.metrojustice.org/blackhealthmatters

No Evictions, No Shut Offs! Press Conference with Metro Justice, City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester, NY, City Roots Community Land Trust, Rochester DSA, and Rochester VOCAL-NY - Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders as members of the Rochester Housing Justice Alliance!

We need you to join us today! People ARE still getting evicted; we know of at least 4 Rochester residents that will face eviction as soon as October 16th. Thousands more are at risk of losing their housing because the extension of the Tenant Safe Harbor Act does not actually halt eviction. As many as 62, 684 people may also face utility shut off after October 4th as winter approaches. Come out today at 4:45 PM to the steps of the Monroe County Supreme Court to learn about why current "protections" are not enough to keep people safe in their homes during the pandemic, show solidarity for our demands for more long-term moratoriums and bill forgiveness, and how you can participate in eviction blockades and shut-off defense to help keep people safe until our demands are met!

People ARE still getting evicted during a pandemic! The extension of the Tenant Safe Harbor Act to January 1, 2021 does not prevent unjust evictions. We know of at least 4 Rochester residents that will face eviction as soon as October 16th. Thousands more are also still at risk of eviction, and are being forced to add fighting an undeserved court battle to their hardships due to the pandemic. As many as 62, 684 could also face utility shut offs after October 4th. This is un...acceptable. Come join us in the fight to demand long term solutions for tenants, extend the eviction moratorium to protect our neighbors from being displaced, and guaranteeing heat & electricity for all as winter approaches. We deserve stability in the midst of a public health crisis. Come out to show community support for our demands, and hear from local leaders about how current protections are inadequate, and how you can be involved in community eviction blockades and utility shut-off defense to make sure that housing, heat, and electricity are guaranteed for all during a public health emergency!