Protest happening now at Palms Motel on West MacArthur demanding @LibbySchaaf commandeer hotels for unhoused Oakland residents. The city has taken no action to house additional folks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#ActionNowforMLK #37MLK

Open the Empty Rooms! Save Lives

Call Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf: 510-238-3141

#ActNowfor37MLK and all of our unhoused neighbors

Not opening more hotels now is a violent racist delay!

Oakland unhoused = 70% Black

COVID victims are disproportionately Black.

#HousingIsaHumanRight

Word is police are on their way. Organizers are asking for support if you can get to 829 West MacArthur Blvd in Oakland soon.

Protest organized by residents of #37MLK encampment, who have been crowdfunding for motel rooms on their own recently, but they can't raise enough for everyone. For background, read @ZZZZZZZZZZZack's pre-pandemic piece on the women of 37MLK. https://thebolditalic.com/how-unhoused-elder-black-women-their-neighbor-created-a-community-in-oakland-7cf3c8392864?gi=421b570018aa

Housing is a Right! Fight, fight, fight!

A protester is locked down inside one of the rooms in the Palms motel, demanding that the city take action to house folks today.

Stephanie announces lockdown from motel window to those outside. Then Delores of 37MLK speaks about her need for housing.
https://www.loveandjusticeinthestreets.com 

OPD's been keeping watch from a short distance away for about 15 minutes now.

Motel manager has lockdown room door held open with a piece of furniture and photographs other protesters below.

The action today in Oakland is to build pressure on elected officials to meet the demands of the No Vacancy coalition to shelter and protect our unhoused neighbors throughout California, immediately in response to the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
https://novacancyca.org 

From inside room #17, formerly unhoused Stephanie explains why she is taking drastic action today for people without shelter. She's pleading for city, county, and state officials, for private individuals and organizations, to step up and provide funds for housing now.
#37MLK

Stephanie, one of the founders of #37MLK, has spent all the money she has helping others secure hotel rooms, but now the money has run out. She's locked herself to the window bars to create a sense of urgency for those who have the means to help unhoused folks and haven't yet.

House Us Now

This Is An Emergency!!

OPD came up to the motel and spoke with management in private, then told protesters to keep sidewalk clear and allow motel to do business and retreated back to their SUVs, leaving the scene altogether a few minutes later.

Oakland city code and emergency order with highlighted sections pertaining to hotels for emergency shelter have been posted online. http://www.loveandjusticeinthestreets.com/in-the-news 

"City Administrator, as the EOC Director, is hereby empowered: To obtain vital supplies, equipment, and such other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of life and property... to commandeer the same for public use"
…https://d5935193-09b4-4849-ba30-cb49f200cad3.filesusr.com/ugd/a2f81c_d85a2c77ab284485acc392caaf6d89ad.pdf (pdf)

The city of Oakland explicitly declared the authority to commandeer and lease properties for unsheltered persons in response to the COVID-19 crisis, but has completely failed to act.

Organizers are hustling now to raise as much money as possible to secure as many hotel rooms as they can tonight for unsheltered Oaklanders, because the city refuses to help.

Donate if you can.

Three hotel managers moved into the room acting angry and aggressive. Stefani says they threatened physical violence.

Hotel managers changed the lock, threw personal property into the parking lot, and closed the room door. Stefani is inside alone.

Stefani has been on her feet all day, barely able to move. If she slips, she could strangle. The hotel manager guarding the door was asked to crack the window or door so that he and others could hear a cry for help, and he refused, accepting that she could die in there.

Manager did finally allow an allie to do a wellness check and speak with Stefani through the window. She is sitting on a stool and committed to remaining until demands met. Simultaneously, she is working to coordinate motel rooms for unhoused folks on her phone.

OPD just showed up and is speaking with a manager in the office.

4 squad cars here now. Cops knocked on room door first, but Stefani can't open door, then speaking to her through window.

Lead cop confirmed with her reason for protest, to pressure city into providing rooms for homeless folks, said he was concerned about her well being, then went back to his vehicle. Two cops outside room not saying anything now. Quiet for last 5 minutes.

Lead cop came back from office, not car, didn't say much through window to Stefani, then went back to motel office. Another cop is speaking with her now about managers threatening to physically drag her out of room earlier.

Lead cop and presumably higher ranking cop who just pulled up are speaking with manager in dark corner outside of motel. Unclear what the plan is, why fire department hasn't been called to cut her free.

Sargent came to the window for a few minutes to speak with Stefani, acted like he didn't know she was locked down or why she was protesting, then walked away with other lead cop out to sidewalk. He's rifling through papers on SUV hood, other cop inside his patrol car. ???

Sergeant came back up and said cops were leaving. Told Stephani good luck. No arrest. Folks helped move desk back to bathroom so she can have something to sit on, her shoes that were tossed out earlier, and food, too.

Three managers came back up and pulled blanket away from Stephani. They started to close door with them inside with Stephani until they were warned it wouldn't look good to have three guys with captive woman, then they came outside and closed door with Stephani inside again.

Manager, singular, the other two are his angry friends, allowed Needa Bee inside to speak with Stephani privately. One friend keeps threatening allies outside, and even put his hands on one, the other one investigates arguments over and over.

Needa is still inside. Manager at room door just asked if allies could agree to no more than one person besides Stefani inside the room at a time, everyone agreed, and he went into downstairs office/apartment. His loudmouth friends have been inside for a while.

Allies are committed to staying outside all night, hoping more arrive in the morning if Stefani is still locked in room #17 at the Palms motel.

If you haven't yet, tell @LibbySchaaf to open the empty rooms.

Enough money was raised as a result of this protest to get at least 15 motel rooms tonight for our unhoused neighbors. Keep the donations coming through either of these sources. Tell a friend. https://twitter.com/Indybay/status/1263973302390763520

Stefani is free! She voluntarily chose to have allies cut the chain. Over 17 hours locked down in support of those who need shelter during this coronavirus crisis.
#HousingIsaHumanRight