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Indybay Feature

Gentrifiers Co-Opting Detainment Protest in Concord

by Writing From Concord
A group of gentrification advocates and development lobbyists are attempting to co-opt an anti-fascist Concord protest movement for their own gain.
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.
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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Pokemon
Googling like hell but cant find any evidence to back up anything you're saying about EBFE's wanting to lead anything or tell anyone else what to do. Looks like they want people, presumably their own members, to go to the Council meeting and join others opposing Trump's concentration camps. This is not just a Concord issue, I hope you understand. If we can only rely on activists in Concord, we will not win--there are simply not enough of you (sorry)
by Marshall Lewis
This article contains MAJOR factual inaccuracies about East Bay for Everyone. EBFE is a group of housing advocates that strongly opposes gentrification and supports affordable housing, public housing, and rent control. They're not even remotely in favor of unregulated free market capitalism or trickle-down economics. It's distressing to see their views being misrepresented in such an egregious manner, especially in opposition to a protest against a concentration camp.
by GlenParkDaddy
Who cares where someone is from? Do Leftists discriminate against immigrants now?
by Greg Colley (ghcolley20 [at] gmail.com)
The credibility of claims for and against EB4E and the capacity of Concord activists is seriously undermined by making those claims anonymously. Why hide?

I'm from Concord and active in social justice. While the general policy of detention camps may not just be a Concord issue, there is already a healthy and credible activist community here. Why not reach out?

Writing From Concord, who are you? IndyBay, do you really believe that it helps build credibility in and support for a progressive or leftist agenda when claims like this are published anonymously? My name and email address are displayed intentionally. Feel free to contact me.

I have done what research I can, and according to their Secretary of State filings EB4E is headed by Greg Magofna, Paul Anzel, and Andrew Van Wye. No one I have contacted in Oakland know these people. Their agent for service of process is Harry Berezin, who formerly worked at RJP LLP, a law firm which assisted the city of Concord in their attempt to resist district elections several months ago. But he hasn't worked there for over a year according to the firm. Credible activists in the East Bay don't trust these guys, but I am reserving judgement. I'd like to get a copy of their IRS Form 990 to see where their money comes from.

We get a lot of false flag politicians in Concord. We don't need out of town activists unknown (or not trusted) by anyone to come and play games here, no matter how important the topic. We need to work together and openly - and that includes people offering critiques.

We also don't need credulous participants on either side let anonymity play the destructive role - this article is a case in point. IndyBay, is this your standard?
by GlenParkDaddy
Housing is a human right
More housing is better than less housing
Density is good
Housing is a home, not an investment
Our cities have room for more housing without displacing existing residents
Long-term planning is a pretty great idea
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