Above Photo: From CreativeResistance.org. Stop Gentrification by Leslie Bender.
Some light displays in Brooklyn are spreading awareness of gentrification instead of holiday cheer.
Activists in Bushwick have posted signs around the neighborhood as part of a campaign called “Illumination Against Gentrification.” They are trying to keep longtime residents from being displaced from their homes.
“My mom keeps receiving at home these letters from real estate agents, developers, who have basically been harassing her. They’ve even gone to the extent of calling her at work to sell. And we don’t want to sell. We don’t plan on selling the house any time soon,” said activist Patricia Rodriguez.
“It’s always about the story of newcomers, or how newcomers are making Brooklyn hip. But the reality is that in Brooklyn, in New York City, in Queens, the Bronx, there’s a whole history that’s being erased,” said activist Will Giron.
The campaign is supported by the NYC Light Brigade, which has used light displays as a form of protest around the city.