Photos From the Front Lines: Rosemary Williams' Eviction from the Inside (Fight Back)

from Fight Back! News: http://www.fightbacknews.org/2009/09/rosemary-williams-eviction-from-ins...

Fight Back! photographer Kim DeFranco was inside Rosemary Williams' home during the Sept. 11 police raid. This is her account and photos of what took place.

Around noon, two cop cars were spotted at the end of Rosemary Williams’s block. Later, an undercover cop car drove past the house. The Minneapolis police often did this kind of intimidation during the occupation, which began on Aug. 7.

Today was different. Around 2:00 p.m., there was a knock at the door and the raid began. A Minneapolis cop was in the house while up 20 cops surrounded the home. Kim DeFranco and Bill Drebenstedt were able to get a few calls to supporters about the raid before the police took away their cell phones.

Rosemary was able to take items from her house. Rosemary Williams, her son Tyrone, Kim DeFranco and tenant Bill Drebenstedt (above), took the time they needed while the police waited.

While Rosemary was gathering her belongings, supporters had time to organize the fight back rally. This is a photo of the first responders.

Word of the raid circulated. Supporters, angered by the news, showed up en masse. With righteous outrage, they chanted, “Let Rosemary stay!” “Housing is a right!” “Evictions are a crime!”

During the invasion, the cops made themselves ‘at home,’ for example, putting their feet up on the back yard tables. They disrespected the home and owner, acting like they were the ones who were inconvenienced while kicking Rosemary out of her house.

Chants continued outside, “Banks got bailed out, Rosemary got sold out!”

As the eviction was in progress, the Vacant Property Security, Inc. company continued to board up the home. They did not use usual plywood, but thick metal sheets, along with steel grating inside. There were already seven vacant homes on Rosemary Williams’s block. Now there are eight.

An employee of Vacant Property Security, Inc handed over GMAC's $5000 check. Williams smiled sarcastically and called it a “blood money check.” A representative from the Salvation Army was there to help Rosemary ‘find housing.’ He was challenged by DeFranco and Drebenstedt, who stated that Williams was already in a house.

During the two and a half hour ordeal, supporters and neighbors rallied for Rosemary. They rallied against the injustice, criminal and insane notion of throwing families out of good, stable homes and into streets and into homelessness.

When Rosemary and her son Tyrone - holding a brick that was embedded in the lawn (see second photo above) on which is written “Rosemary’s house” - were ready to leave, they waved to the supporters gathered outside. Since Aug. 7, when the Sheriff first put the eviction on her door, Rosemary and her supporters triumphantly occupied her home for 35 days. As she walked through the gate she declared, “It's not over! We will keep fighting!”

After Rosemary left her yard, friends rushed to take back what the city had stolen. Seven people were arrested. Arrestees included five from the Minnesota Coalition for People’s Bailout (Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee, Jennie Eisert of the Anti-War Committee, Bailout Coalition spokesperson Mick Kelly, Steff Yorek of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Tracy Molm of Students for a Democratic Society), along with Rick Kelly from the Coldsnap Legal Collective and Karina Janezich of the Twin Cities Avengers. As the cops were taking them away, people shouted, “Who's house? Rosemary's house!”