On the crisp fall morning of Oct. 13, about 50 marchers gathered at the People's Church on Lawrence Ave. to take part in a march and rally on behalf of Uptown homeless tent city residents and to push for the passage of the Keeping the Promise Ordinance.
Keeping the Promise Ordinance is, according to the press release distributed for this action, "a proposal that would require the Chicago Housing Authority ( CHA ) to distribute several thousand additional housing vouchers sitting unused in CHA's coffers to those in need of housing and produce more public housing to ensure an adequate supply of low-cost rentals across all neighborhoods, including the North side, amidst rapidly escalating market rents."
The march and rally included members of the Uptown homeless Lake Shore viaduct encampment residents' association—Tent City Voices Heard, ONE Northside and the Chicago Housing Initiative fair and affordable housing coalition.
Ahead of the march, Uptown Tent City resident William "Willie" Matos spoke about the city's pending decision to either remove the tents or allow the residents to remain under the Lawrence, Foster and Wilson Ave. viaducts for the foreseeable future. This decision was to have been made Oct. 14 and will be reported when the information is available.
"Unfortunately, city officials don't want us out here because they look at us as a blemish on the city as they build a better look for Chicago," said Matos. "We have nowhere else to go so we have to stay and fight against the system so we can continue to live the best we can. There's over $400 million in surplus city funds that are sitting in limbo right now and the city is refusing to put those funds into affordable housing for homeless Chicago residents like myself."
Following Matos' remarks, the marchers headed East on Lawrence Ave. toward the viaduct to go South on the bike path along Lake Shore Drive. Their destination was Wilson Avenue and Marine Drive, where 50 additional marchers had gathered to continue the group's protest action.
Chicago police officers arrived at the Lawrence Avenue viaduct and as the marchers took to the bike path two unmarked police vehicles followed behind them.
Along with holding up signs and chanting slogans including "hands off homeless people, hands off tent city," "affordable housing now," and "tents are home," protestors also carried tents the entire length of the march.
As the marchers attempted to take over the Southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive with a makeshift tent city, the unmarked Chicago Police vehicles turned their sirens on. Uniformed officers arrived at the scene and began to push the marchers off of Lake Shore Drive. A stand-off took place between the marchers ( a few of whom were in wheelchairs and using walkers ) for a number of minutes and during that time one of the marchers, Southside Together Organized for Power activist Alex Goldenberg, was arrested. A traffic or police helicopter also hovered above Lake Shore Drive during that time.
The rally took place on the grassy area nearby with about 20 police officers standing alongside Lake Shore Drive to prevent additional road blockages by the protestors.
Among the rally speakers were Matos, Angela Lacy ( Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing and Chicago Housing Initiative leader and voucher holder ), Loydell Roberson ( Tent City resident ), Cynthia Scott ( Lathrop Homes resident ), Charles Holder ( Mayor of Lawrence Tent City viaduct ), Abdul ( Louis ) Jones ( Tent City resident ) and Little John ( Tent City resident ).
Matos explained that the city has refused to give the Tent City residents support and instead harasses them on a regular basis. He said they deserve the same rights as any other Chicagoan. Matos also noted that the only viaducts the city insists on cleaning are the ones where Tent City residents live.
Lacy noted that her story is similar to those who live in Tent City. She explained that the voucher she received was supposed to give her family access to safer neighborhoods, better schools and economic opportunities but in reality that didn't happen. Lacy called on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to pay attention to the needs of the entire city, not just the 1 percent.
Scott said that there are open units at Lathrop Homes and they should be occupied by Tent City residents, not opened up to market rental rates.
Matos closed the rally with an announcement that the city would be cleaning the viaducts the following morning and potentially evicting the tent-city residents. They're also threatening to take their tents away, said Matos. He also noted that no member of the city leadership showed up at the march and rally and called on the police to release Goldenberg.
Gay Liberation Network co-founder and Uptown Tent City Organizers activist Andy Thayer added that, "Two recent court decisions have found such threatened moves by the city to be blatantly illegal and unconstitutional. Nonetheless, during an action at his office on Oct. 3, Ald. James Cappleman refused to advocate punishment for any city workers who violate the rights of homeless people and break the law."
