Brooklyn To March Against Gentrification & Police Violence
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- Hundreds of Brooklynites are expected to march across the borough Saturday to protest gentrification, racism and police violence.
The second annual March Against Gentrification will unite grassroots activists, families of people killed by police and hundreds of New Yorkers from across the borough who will march from Prospect Lefferts Gardens to Sunset Park Saturday afternoon, organizers announced.
The 2017 march drew about 500 people who came to share stories of police violence, landlord harassment and the negative impact big developers had on their neighborhoods.
Should you care to join them for the second annual march, here's what you need to know.
When And Where Is The March?
Protesters will begin rallying on the corner of Parkside and Ocean Avenues in Flatbush at 11 a.m. and begin marching toward the Brooklyn Botanical Garden at noon. There will be a rally on Franklin Avenue and Montgomery Street at 12:45, then marchers will head toward Warren Street and Third Avenue for a second rally at 2:40 p.m. From there, the marchers will head toward 36th Street and Fourth Avenue for a final rally in Sunset Park at 5:30 p.m.
Who's Organizing The March?
The march is a joint effort from the Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network, a people of color-led grassroots coalition, and Equality For Flatbush, a group that protests against police brutality. The march has also been endorsed by 80 community-based organizations, small businesses and tenant associations.
What Are The Specific Goals Of The March?
To speak out against the rezoning for luxury developments — such as the proposed high-rise buildings residents fear will cast the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in shadow — in neighborhoods such as Bushwick, East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Sunset Park, and Downtown Brooklyn.
To protest policing policies of ICE and the NYPD.
To show support for City Council's proposed Small Business Jobs Survival Act that would strengthen rights of commercial tenants.
To call for an increased investment in NYCHA housing.
Want To Find Out More?
Check out the event Facebook Page and the BAN Gentrification website for more information about the march.
Photo caption: Demonstrators march toward the NYPD 71st Precinct in protest of the police-involved shooting death of Saheed Vassell, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, April 5, 2018 in New York City. Photo courtesy of Drew Angerer/Getty Images
