One night in April, activist Cat Salonek received a text message with details about a sit-in. It was a balmy spring night in Minneapolis, but the chill in the air sent shivers down her neck as she walked out her front door wearing a sweater and patchwork quilt. That night, a mass text message communicating details about a sit-in at the Cruz residence had been sent out to the Occupy Homes network. Within 15 minutes, over 100 people showed up at the house. And they didn’t leave. Activists surrounded the house 24/7 for one month while others brought them sustenance and support.
Photo: Fibonacci Blue / Home being defended from foreclosure eviction
Police arrested over a dozen people and barricaded the house to prevent further occupation. Actual sit-ins are only necessary once the sheriff has posted an eviction notice. That’s exactly what happened to the Cruz family.
Listen to homeowner testimonials in the video below:
Minneapolis resident Monique White came to Occupy Homes with a foreclosure notice. In Minnesota, homeowners that have missed two payments after having received a foreclosure notice on their homes risk eviction, regardless of their ability to pay back their loans. Monique got a personalized campaign in which protesters stayed in her house on some nights waiting for a notice to be posted.
As of August 29, 2012, Occupy Homes has bought $30,000 of air time for the Occupy Spots project in Florida and a $1,500 national buy that aired on August 14-15. The national advertisement reached 634,462 people.
Kera Mogue