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<h2><a
href="http://sfbayview.com/2014/07/10-arrested-blocking-trucks-sent-to-shutoff-water-services-in-detroit/"
title="10 arrested blocking trucks sent to shutoff water
services in Detroit">10 arrested blocking trucks sent to shutoff
water services in Detroit</a></h2>
<div class="date">July 10, 2014</div>
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<h3><strong>Tens of thousands impacted by emergency management,
banks</strong></h3>
<p><em><strong>by Abayomi Azikiwe</strong></em></p>
<p>Detroit activists concerned about the massive water shutoffs
across the economically devastated city blocked entrances into the
yard of Homrich, a firm given a nearly $6 million contract to
terminate services for hundreds of thousands of people. The firm
was hired by emergency manager Kevyn Orr, who was appointed by
right-wing Gov. Rick Snyder in March 2013, who later forced the
city into the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States
history a year ago.</p>
<p>A picket line set up before 7:00 a.m. on July 10 blocked the
entrance to Homrich for over an hour. Eventually police arrived
and attempted to force demonstrators out of the driveway,
prompting resistance leading to 10 arrests.</p>
<p>Protesters were taken into custody and charged with disturbing
the peace. A hearing was set for July 21.</p>
<p>Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellerman of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in
Detroit said that he would gladly get arrested again in order to
further the cause of stopping the shut-offs. Also arrested was
Elena Herrada, a member of the Detroit Board of Education in exile
and a candidate for Michigan state representative.</p>
<p>The actions are part of a citywide effort to declare a moratorium
on water shut-offs. The ninth week of Freedom Friday protests is
scheduled for July 11.</p>
<p>On July 15 hundreds will gather outside the federal courthouse in
conjunction with a bankruptcy hearing, where at least 60 people
will present legal objections to the so-called “plan of
adjustment.” The plan, if approved, would implement huge cuts in
retirees’ pensions and further disempower and expropriate Detroit
residents of city assets and municipal governance rights.</p>
<p>Already Belle Isle, the Detroit Public Lighting, Detroit Public
Works, Human Services and the city Health Department have been
taken over and privatized. Tens of thousands of retirees have had
their healthcare programs cancelled and are also facing
substantial cuts to pension benefits.</p>
<p>There is currently an effort to privatize the management of the
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). The water department
was struck hard when $530 million was taken out of the system in
2012 to terminate yet another fraudulent interest-rate swap deal
controlled by JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and other banks.</p>
<p>The July 18 Freedom Friday will be held in conjunction with the
Net Roots Nation conference taking place in Detroit, where
thousands attending the event are being encouraged to come out
into the streets and join protests against emergency management,
the banks and forced privatization of the city.</p>
<p><em>Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of </em><a
href="http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/"><em>Pan-African News
Wire</em></a><em>, where </em><a
href="http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/2010/12/after-wikileaks-us-outlines-africa.html"><em>this
story</em></a><em> first appeared, can be reached at </em><a
href="mailto:panafnewswire@gmail.com"><em>panafnewswire@gmail.com</em></a><em>.
Pan-African News Wire, the world’s only international daily
pan-African news source, is designed to foster intelligent
discussion on the affairs of African people throughout the
continent and the world.</em></p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
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