Protests extend US eviction ban

Submitted by martin on 10 August, 2021 - 5:05 Author: Sacha Ismail
Cori Bush

On Friday 31 July the US Congress had failed to extend its about-to-expire evictions ban, and Joe Biden said there was nothing he could do. Then left-wing Missouri congresswoman Cori Bush galvanised protests by camping out on the Capitol steps. She was widely attacked, and not just on the right. A liberal newspaper in her city, St Louis, sneered that Bush “clearly misunderstands the complicated process” involved.

The protests won. On 3 August the Biden administration introduced a new ban, until at least 3 October.

Bush, who is from a poor background and worked as a nurse until her election last year, wrote an open letter to Congress demanding extension, citing her own multiple experiences of being evicted and made homeless. She attacked "a Democratic-controlled government allow[ing] millions of people to go unhoused as the Delta variant is ravaging our communities".

Despite the UK evictions ban ending on 31 May, there have been relatively few evictions. With the end of pandemic support schemes and Universal Credit cut coming in October, that may change.

The labour movement should be mobilising major street protests against these attacks and demanding real solutions including increased benefits and the building of council housing.

Labour and trade union activists should demand Labour MPs show more of the spirit of Cori Bush, and fight for more left-wing, working-class campaigners in Parliament.

Comments

Submitted by AWL on Wed, 01/09/2021 - 21:52

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