Gentrifiers Co-Opting Detainment Protest in Concord

People are asked to please NOT attend the "East Bay For Everyone" rally at Concord BART, but to instead meet up at Concord council at 6PM Tueday night (6/26).

East Bay Forward had earned such a bad reputation as being shills for big developers, lobbying against community benefits and equitable housing, that they had to change their branding to East Bay For Everyone. Despite the name change, nothing about their philosophy has changed. They believe in deregulated market forces and trickle-down economics.

East Bay For Everyone is trying to co-opt a Concord protest against Trump's proposed internment camp at the Naval Weapons Station. Concord activists are trying to get people to meet at 6PM at Concord council chamber this Tuesday. East Bay Forward, is declaring that want people at Concord BART at 5:30PM, and that they will lead the protest.

East Bay For Everyone has no background in Concord, has never attended a Concord city council meeting, and has no association with Concord activists. So it is strange that East Bay For Everyone suddenly is now acting to be the leading authority of Concord's activist scene.

Concord activists are asking people to attend council to talk about issues pertaining to displacement and immigration rights. East Bay For Everyone, has been a leading proponent of gentrification and displacement. East Bay For Everyone is unabashedly pro-capitalist, and has consistently argued against affordable housing and rent protections.

This part of Contra Costa County has been housing people displaced by the gentrification of Oakland and Berkeley that East Bay For Everyone lobbies for. Concord does not need East Bay For Everyone to interject itself into local politics. We have activists and community organizers here already. We in Concord don't need pro-corporate lobbyists to lead the charge on our behalf.

East Bay Forward says they will be the ones to speak during non-agenda public comment at the start of the city council meeting, and that they want people to support them. Given the limited time for non-agenda comment, it should be local community members who speak, not a lobbyist from Ohio (the head of East Bay For Everyone is from Ohio).

If East Bay Forward wants to fight for social justice, they need to first accept the fact they have gained a bad reputation in activist circles. If they want to fight for social justice, they should be speaking up for truly affordable housing, and protections against massive rent increases. If they want to fight for social justice they need to stop being a tool for gentrification. Lastly, if they want to offer a supporting role to Concord community members, they should be asking how to do so, instead of trying to co-opt a movement.

Meet up at Concord city council (address is 1950 Parkside) at 6PM, or a little before hand. Help organize against the internment camp. Ignore East Bay Forward's grandstanding, and don't attend their rally beforehand.