“We’re Not Leaving”: Chicago Squatters Resist Eviction

This statement published below comes from a group of squatters who have occupied a building owned by Barnett Capital, one of the driving forces of gentrification in Chicago. The squatters state that they are not leaving the building. As many of us are squeezed out by rising rents and real estate capital, we must all stand in solidarity with everyone fighting back. For background information, go here.

Our time is up. After squatting a former homeless shelter owned by billion dollar investment company Barnett Capital for the past thirteen months, we have reached the end of our rope. The eviction papers have been signed and stamped by the judge, all negotiations have expired, the sheriffs are on standby.

We were supposed to be out by April 1st, but through direct confrontation and sheer nerve, managed to push the eviction back to November 7th. That day has come and gone, and only one thing stands in Barnett Capital’s way of turning our squat into luxury condos: we’re not leaving.

Chicago: Barnett Capital and Police Move to Destroy Squat for Condos #rentistheft #deathtocapitalhttps://t.co/yilKeq1gSm pic.twitter.com/OlgatWrvlh

— The Base (@TheBaseBK) May 17, 2017

All entrances to the building have been barricaded and we are bunkered down in our squatted fortress. This building is Barnett Capital’s eastern entry point to gentrify the Little Village neighborhood in Chicago. To them we say: it’s on. We are committed to making it physically, socially, and financially implausible for them to carry out their war on poor people.

To our comrades fighting in this war we say: don’t give in. We have pushed past the limits of what all respectable organizations deemed possible. We have proved that we can make these fuckers fear us.

Rent is their illusion, it’s up to us to shatter it. SQUAT THE WORLD!!!