The vote was 9 in favor, 1 against, 1 abstention. The letter requesting a Planning Study goes to the full Board next week. Expect more nonsense, and a likely yay vote.
Who knows where it will go from here. Nowhere good, probably. Just more neighbor against neighbor shouting and name calling. Unless, by some miracle, Alicia decides to take the high road and talk rather than pretend she's fighting the battle for the right to vote. Actually, she could have taken some notes on civil disobedience from the King, because her tactics are definitely not civil and the way she behaves when arrested could damn well turn into a riot one day. Here's some footage, not for the weak of heart:
Thanks Mike F for the embed (click thru for his coverage). By the way, yes, that is a child that one protester brought to the proceedings and encouraged to watch the whole thing. A member of the Board asked her if she wouldn't rather take her outside for the arrest scuffle, but she adamantly refused. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but was that necessary? The little girl couldn't have been a month past three if that. She also gets to watch the below, where about ten seconds in a woman rushes at Ben Edwards and looks like she takes a swipe at him.
So what happened? Amidst the chaos, the Committee huddled to (barely) hear one another open the meeting, take the vote and adjourn. All that for that.
As I noted before, MTOPP's propaganda really paid off. She brought out significantly higher numbers than usual - maybe 30. But to highlight just how much horseshit she's been feeding people, I spoke with two woman who wanted to know why I was working for the greedy Developers. When I told them I was a 12 year resident who loved my neighborhood and my neighbors, they seemed aghast. But why was I fighting to put huge luxury high rises in the neighborhood? I said that was the very thing I was hoping to prevent, and to see that any new buildings had affordable set-asides. But why was I for buildings like 626 Flatbush? At which point, I just shook my head. It's all going to be okay I muttered, half of me not believing, and half just plain shell-shocked I guess.
There wasn't anything funny about tonight, or any of it. And I'm not the least bit happy that the right decision was made. I really think the anger on display tonight, of neighbor against neighbor, does not bode well for the next chapter, whatever that may be. And now, I fear, Alicia will claim the Board is responsible for the massive changes taking place in the neighborhood. If she's able to convince people of that, look out. Nobody's safe.
24 comments:
I am glad this chapter is over.
Here is a longer video from a Brooklynian.com poster. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-yjm2z8P_KA
I agree finally
Well, part of me is optimistic. People are listening to Alicia less and less. They're realizing that she's a liar and that her behavior is ineffective, if not detrimental to the neighborhood. She's aligned herself with divisive characters (E4F) and demonstrated that MTOPP sympathy is bad politics via support for Geoffrey Davis. Not that Davis would have rocked it otherwise, but he might have stood a better chance.
My prediction is that she'll continue to disrupt, get arrested, and find herself with less and less influence as time goes by. Her ridiculous, flagrantly hostile emails will be ignored - who wants to read that? Her handful of followers will remain angrily ignorant, and they, too, will find that no one wants to listen to them. They'll rail against DCP, Jews, whites, and who knows whom else in their own little vacuum. She'll continue her AirBnB business and profit from the gentrification she claims to be fighting.
When Davis only received 308 votes for the 43rd AD, many people realized how few members of the community she represents.
To be fair, I doubt that Davis would've received more votes if Obama endorsed him!
~prospectheightsresident
A reliable source informs me that Alicia is still in custody and won't be seen until night court.
She spent the night in jail.
This is in contrast to prior arrests, wherein she was just given a violation or desk appearance ticket.
One person opines:
They can definitely make the case for resisting arrest, just based on the video. I was informed that she also kicked the cops arresting her - that might make out a felony (what would ordinarily be a misdemeanor assault becomes a felony if the victim is a cop). I also heard she assaulted Pearl Miles. That could get her a misdemeanor assault charge and an Order of Protection preventing her from being in the same room as Pearl Miles (which would bar her from future CB9 meetings).
MikeF - This is not a battle but a war. You may win this round but the war will continue. Alicia is fine upstanding woman, a strong advocate for tenants and it's typical of so called liberal men such as yourself to attack her for her courage. And stop asking questions about her personal life. Who she invites to her home is none of your gotdamn business! For all I know, you could be a pervert, or worse. Do I care? No. - End of discussion.
MTOPP are gaining more followers through facebook. You say whatever you want but that is a fact!
Anon 5:46 - Just curious. Can you articulate exactly what it is that Alicia Boyd is fighting this war about? What it is that she wants? Because right now I count a few dozen new projects going up in the neighborhood, all of which she would describe as luxury buildings.
I'd appreciate your telling me exactly what this fine upstanding woman is trying to accomplish by tarring ever person who doesn't agree with her as a pro-developer racist anti-poor bigot traitor.
So...she's fighting for what exactly? And how does that differ from what the Community Board has been saying all along?
Clarkson, this may help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E
On a separate but related note, while the conversation about changing neighborhood demographics burns on, we should acknowledge the other cultural changes and trends going on that are directly impacting PLG/Flatbush/Ditmas/other surround areas. Nike is opening a its 2nd largest brand center on nostrand. Stussy just released a partnership with the Flatbush Zombies. Industry City in sunset park is booking enormous tenants quicker than ever (making Flatbush more attractive to their staff). The city continues to incentivize med to large organizations (i.e Tough Mudder) to establish headquarters in downtown BK. All of these things attract a very ambitious young professional class. Not trying to make any real point here. Just taking a step back to really grasp the full picture of change.
Jamesy: You're right to point out why this is all happening so fast. Even Marty "Cheerleader" Markowitz was amazed by the transformation. What once was a glimmer in his eye became a diamond cataract.
The big picture means nothing though if you are experiencing this in the microcosm of your own neighborhood, even your own block or apartment building. We can recognize historical trends and identify economic indicators, and even imagine a time when all this energy and change seems to have been inevitable.
But just try saying that to someone who's experience this as just one more bitter disappointment in the great American saga of hope ever dashed by racist reality. I can see it, and I can sympathize. I'll bet you can too.
Tonight Pearl pointed out that a lot of the supporters last night got on the train to go home. I would argue that what we saw last night is not about our neighborhood in particular. Not at all. This is a growing anti-gentrification movement and it's here to stay, and it will likely assert itself in more and more places and with similarly strident tones.
The Die Yuppie Scum movement that culminated in the Tompkins Square Riot in 1988 was pretty fun to watch.
I suspect this movement will be as successful, and as entertaining.
"A lot of the supporters last night got on the train to go home". Most folks from CB9 District walk home. Seems to me like imported disrupters invading our community again!!!!
Oh, Look at the wonderful things gentrification has brought us.
http://gothamist.com/2015/05/22/crown_heights_tenants_rally_against.php
Alicia Boyd has every right to protest against these things and the way she was dragged out the meeting like a dead carcass by the police is another example of how the NYPD treats minorities. Blacks are been chased out of their neighborhoods and there are very little that is being done about it. Their communities are devalued regardless of their income. Gentrification is all about race. How many white residents of this city are being displaced at the rate non whites are?
On the flip side, you have dumb, mealy mouthed so called progressives, who cheer gentrification as something positive for everyone in the community. As the facts can show, it has done more damage than good.
Why aren't they gentrifying South Brookyln? Why aren't they gentrifying Sunset Park which isn't too far off the distance? Why aren't the rents in those neighborhoods going up at the rate rents are in CH?
Landlords and their supporters only care about seeing new things like crappy artisan cheese eateries and little Caleb and Meagans who shop in other neighborhoods and don't contribute a dime to the neighborhood they reside in. It's happening all over the city and all over the country in the name of "revitalization."
come on now, of course sunset park is being gentrified, as is bay ridge
Anon 3:57. Your ignorance about the breadth of gentrification is breathtaking. And it ain't only about black neighborhoods. The Lower East Side happened long before Bed-Stuy. But I'll stick to your other points.
This blog has done its best to highlight the particularly fucked up racism inherent in the system, in the collusion of big real estate interests, and the overarching undervaluing of neighborhoods based on their blackness. You have no argument from me on those points. Yes, this is the new colonialism. I would argue it's evidence of a spiritual malady, but except where it is done illegally (and that happens frequently and should be fought, there is precious little that a protest can do to end it. Perhaps the point: make it so uncomfortable for gentrifiers to live here that they decamp for friendlier outposts?
And yes, Ms. Boyd is entitled to protest. She has gone way over the line though. At this point, certain people will be seeking protection from what is becoming more and more violent protesting. I would hope that she would be barred from meetings so they can proceed, but she is more than welcome to protest outside, as long as things remain civil. If she continues to bait and taunt people and then resist arrest, she'll have a difficult time convincing the powers that be of her points. And she may spend considerably more time behind bars than a single night.
I seem to recall the polish being gentrified out of green point very recently. not to mention the old italian guard out of carroll gardens. Gentrification happens to lots of groups.
I feel bad for many of Alicia's supporters. She is using their plight to disrupt progress and she wants us to fight amongst ourselves.
All the concerns they raise about gentrification and greedy developers and landlords are all valid but Alicia doesn't want to find a solution that doesn't involve slapping papers away, physical confrontations and temper tantrums with the police. Is she aware that some of the decisions regarding housing are done by Albany? She could educate herself on how these things works. The city can only do so much that it can do to mitigate their concerns. If she wants to make some change, then she should run for state office.
I do hope they file a restraining order against her and keep her away from the meetings. Maybe it will force her to do some soul searching.
Anon, you're right, but you're also wrong.
Alicia Boyd wants no solution. She cares only that the two blocks of Empire near her house do not become residential. Thus, her solution is no progress, and the paper and table throwing is working perfectly. Understand her goals and the strategy makes sense. It's sad for her followers for sure.
For their part, I'm quite certain that Concerned Citizens will reach a conclusion that serve's Alicia's goal - otherwise, I don't understand why Imani Henry and MTOPP are not bombing their initiative. Maybe there will be protests at their fundraiser, but I doubt it!
I keep seeing posts and emails that say her constitutional right to protest has been violated. According to the NYS laws, this isn't her having her rights taken away, she is flat out disobeying state law. I really wish someone would explain this to her and her cronies.
Post a Comment