Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, along with members of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition and residents of the Highland Towers outside DTE Energy headquarters on September 3, 2009.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
For Immediate Release
Media Advisory
Event: Moratorium NOW! Coalition Meeting/Rally at Highland Towers
Date: Monday, September 14, 6:00-8:00pm
Location: Highland Towers Apartments, 12850 Woodward Near Glendale
Contact: 313.671.3715
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: http://www.moratorium-mi.org
Moratorium NOW! Coalition Meeting Will Be Held Outside the Highland Towers to Demand That the Lights Remain on Pending an Acceptable Resolution of the Crisis; We Must Win a Halt to Illegal Utility Shutoffs and Evictions!
Organizers for the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shutoffs will intensify their campaign this week in support of the tenants at the Highland Towers Apartments in Highland Park where DTE Energy had shut off the power for 11 days. The owners of the building had failed to pay the utility bills despite the fact that the tenants had paid their rents which includes costs for electrical services. On Friday September 11, as a result of a 10 day struggle, Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen MacDonald ordered DTE Energy to turn the power back on at the building for one week.
There will be a series of actions this week to build on the victory won on September 11 that resulted in the temporary restoration of power. On Monday, September 14, organizers for the Moratorium NOW! Coalition will make an appearance on the TV 33 Morning Show hosted by Ricard Hairston from 7:00-8:00am. Later in the day, from 3:00-4:00pm, on the TV program hosted by Theo Broughton on the same TV 33 network, a tenant representative at the Highland Towers will also appear for an interview on the present situation at the building.
Then later at 6:00pm, the Moratorium NOW! Coalition will expand its weekly staff meeting into a mass rally outside the Highland Towers. Both Moratorium NOW! Coalition members and the residents of the Highland Towers will discuss future actions designed to win justice for tenants at the building.
Other important developments this week will include two other hearings before Judge MacDonald on Tuesday, September 15 and Friday, September 18 at 9:00am. Both hearings will seek relief from damages endured by the residents resulting from the actions of both the absentee landlords as well as DTE Energy.
The Moratorium NOW! Coalition is calling upon the community in both Highland Park and Detroit to attend the street meeting on Monday evening. The current struggle to win justice for the residents at Highland Towers has broader implications for the overall campaign to win a general moratorium on foreclosures, evictions and utility shutoffs in the state of Michigan. As the economy further declines more people will face illegal lockouts and displacements. Only an organized response from homeowners, tenants and their supporters can protect the rights of growing numbers of people effected by the economic crisis.
Please follow these media events and by all means attend the street meeting/rally on Monday evening outside the Highland Towers at 6:00pm.
Members of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition are available for comment to the media. Just contact the Coalition at the numbers listed above.
Sincerely In Struggle,
Abayomi Azikiwe
Media Liaison
313.671.3715
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