What better place to hold a war than an Armory?
Since the Q's last post, beleaguered councilperson Laurie Cumbo and BP Eric Adams have come out AGAINST the deal to create housing and a rec center from the Bedford-Union Armory. Politics is trumping Cumbo's realism and Adams' "Build Baby Build" rhetoric.
Folks this is a major teaching moment for us all. A relatively small - actually no, an ACTUALLY small - number of residents have struck big fear into elected officials around all manner of development and housing issues. Watching this up close has been fascinating and eye-opening. By keeping the pressure on, and using truly inspired propaganda like this website called Real Gentrifiers and a roving van with fancy LED screens calling out officials by name, this coalition of housing activists have created the unflattering attention needed to convince the Powers-that-Be to switch sides. Hungry wanna-bes are waiting in the wings to knock Cumbo, Adams, Hamilton and others out of position, by painting them as betrayers of the largely black and poor long-time residents of Central Brooklyn. Remember, this area is represented by a battalion of strong black politicians (our noble councilperson the exception to the "strong" rule). While young Caucasians may find themselves attracted to the assertive tactics and boisterous chanting, the underlying cries of "sell-out" and "Uncle Tom" may strike some as bizarre. Again, checking under the hood you sometimes find more there than just rusty spark plugs.
Great Facebook Live video on the demonstration (against AND for, it should be noted) and all the currents from Patch's Mark Torrence. Yours and my fave ballbuster Alicia Boyd aids a strong cast with her "look at me" antics:
THE LATEST FROM PATCH
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