Minneapolis, MN – The city of Minneapolis announced their intent to close down Nenookaasi Ikwe Healing Camp in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Nenookaasi is an encampment of primarily indigenous people and has been a safe space for over three months.

Because of the steadfast support of local indigenous elders and other local volunteers, the camp has been home to up to 200 people. Because it provides a stable base, residents have been able to access government services, 74 people have gotten stable housing, and the camp has had zero overdose deaths.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who campaigned on ending homelessness in Minneapolis, has been playing a deadly game of whack-a-mole, where encampments of the unhoused are violently closed down, with no place for people to go. Despite many pointing out the cruelty of this approach, Frey has continued this policy.

Nenookaasi recently won their fight to get portable toilets to aid in keeping the site sanitary for the residents. One day later, an eviction notice was issued.

Lead camp organizer Nicole Mason said, “Eviction is violence and results in overdose, disease spread, assault, and the deaths of our relatives.”

Organizers called for a rally on Wednesday December 13, where hundreds of people assembled at The Wall of Forgotten Natives , the site of a former encampment that was violently shut down several years ago. Rallygoers chanted “Who’s land? Native land!” and “Land back” as they marched to the Nenookaasi encampment.

Residents of the encampment were visibly touched to see the massive support for the site that has meant so much to them.

At the rally, a 19-year-old resident of Nenookaasi encampment spoke of the safety and security she had, even as one of the youngest amongst older people. Nenookaasi gives her a place where people do not judge her, something she wished others would take note of and follow. Another Nenookaasi resident spoke if being “outside for a year” and “how that became so isolating.” New to Nenookaasi, he spoke of the welcome and warmth he receives there. The comments from these residents show Nenookaasi is not simply a location, it is home with the attributes of safety, security and support.

Community members, joined by organizations like the Climate Justice Committee, are committed to support Nenookaasi Ikwe Healing Camp. The city of Minneapolis has already moved the date of eviction once and may be moving a second time.

Meanwhile organizers and residents continue to demand no evictions until there is stable, safe housing for all residents, and that the city continue to meet with Nenookaasi representatives to coordinate next steps.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples #Housing #Homeless #CJC

These comments are ridiculous, considering that the homeless people sleeping on the subways do not have a choice. Capitalist forces have stripped them of access to work and shelter. Mayor de Blasio said the city is offering 200 extra shelter beds – a pathetic attempt at a solution, considering the city’s homeless population is roughly 70,000. Yet instead of blaming New York City’s lack of effort in organizing enough sanitary homeless shelter facilities, Cuomo and the NYPD are directing the blame towards homeless people.

By placing the blame on homeless people, the NYPD and New York officials divert attention from the city’s own failures. Instead of blaming the ruling class for failing to provide shelter to all people, they are trying to make us believe that homeless people are the problem. The problem is capitalism. If the government based its decisions on the needs of poor and working people, they would understand the need to provide adequate shelter for the homeless, and to provide low cost housing and free healthcare for all. This would not only give homeless people somewhere to sleep other than the subways, but would eventually prevent homelessness from becoming an issue at all.

But clearly the ruling class would rather criminalize the homeless than provide for people’s basic needs. As New York officials and the NYPD continue to ignore these blatant contradictions, it becomes increasingly clear that there is only one solution – we need to organize to overthrow the capitalist system that causes homelessness in the first place. The solution is socialism.

#NewYorkNY #PoorPeoplesMovements #Healthcare #HousingStruggles #Homeless #COVID19 #NewYorkPoliceDepartment