Diaz auction postponed to Thursday

About 15 of us showed up this morning at 9:30 (auction scheduled for 10 am.) to try to stop the auction of  the Diaz family's home on Champlain St..  We chanted, held signs, and listened to a few speakers, including Ms. Diaz.  You can read the story of the predatory banks and their war against Ms. Diaz here.

We'd been out there about ten minutes when this white man in his 60's walked up and told us to go away.  Apparently he is a "neighbor" from down the street.  A few folks tried to talk to him but he just walked back down the street, shouting things like, "If you can't pay your mortgage, don't buy a house!"  I know that neighborhood fairly well and it is pretty white.  Some racism at play here?

A few minutes later a police cruiser pulled up and the officer told us we'd have to make sure we moved if any traffic came by, and we said we would, and then moved so he could pass.  (You have to understand that Champlain St., like five or six other streets in a row that run off Berkshire, are nearly cul de sacs, connected by a little road at the end used only by the few people with houses on that road.  In other words, no traffic.)

A few minutes after that, a car pulled to the side of the road-- the auctioneers from Wells Fargo National Bank!  Then along came another cruiser.  This officer said we were upsetting several elderly people in the neighborhood-- couldn't say which ones-- and that if we didn't have a permit, we'd have to leave.  While Lara was attempting to negotiate with the officer, the auctioneers decided they weren't going to go ahead that day after all, and they postponed the auction until Thursday at 2 pm.  

Of course, we'll be back on Thursday, also, with even more people (want to join us?) and a little more clarity on the permit situation.  I think we don't need one as long as we're in motion, or if we were to be on the Diaz' property-- not too easy unless we want to be knee-deep in snow.  But we'll figure it out.  No auction!  Not today, not Thursday, not ever!  Join the No One Leaves Campaign!