A group made up of Picture the Homeless, FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality), Fightin’ Freddy’s (patrons of Freddy’s Bar, near the shelter), and City Council member Letitia James, plan to arrest Bruce Ratner on Wednesday, January 27th at 1 PM.

The group say they would like to arrest Ratner “for the moral crime of closing a desperately needed family homeless shelter in the Winter on Martin Luther King’s birthday. We will instead be arresting him to stand trial for allegedly, and possibly admittedly bribing a public official in the State of New York, where such activity is against the law.”

Most importantly, the group’s aim is to get the Pacific Dean Family Homeless Shelter re-opened until Spring. “To this end we intend to see Ratner charged before this coming Friday’s hearing that could give Ratner control of the facility, which he plans to tear down to make a parking lot for the Barclays Center stadium,” says a recent press release.

Close a homeless shelter to make way for parking lot for the Barclay’s Stadium?

That was Forest CIty Ratner’s idea and it’s getting them a tremendous amount of bad press and generating a good deal of community agitation.

To make matters worse, the shelter was closed in the dead of winter, on January 15th, which is Martin Luther King’s actual birthday. Talk about bad timing.

An emergency rally was held the next day at Freddy’s Bar with Crystal Waters, F.U.R.E.E. (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality), Picture the Homeless, the Dean Street Block Association, New York City Council member Tish James, and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, who pledged to put her body in front of the bulldozers should the shelter be torn down as planned

On Martin Luther King Monday, a vigil was held in front of the day care center to see if Forest City Ratner would reverse its request to close the day care center down.

No response from Ratner was forthcoming. Activists vowed to keep fighting and now they’re going to arrest the man.

What:  Homeless Family Advocates to Arrest Atlantic Yards/Barclays Center Developer Bruce Ratner.  Will Bring Ratner to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s Office for Indictment on Bribery Charges, Coumo Will Also Be Asked to Return All Campaign Contributions From Ratner and Indict By Friday, January 29th.

When: Wednesday, January 27th 12:00 Noon, 2nd location at 1PM

Where: Forest City Ratner Headquarters, 1 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY

Who: Picture the Homeless, FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality), Fightin’ Freddy’s (patrons of Freddy’s Bar, near the shelter), and City Council member Letitia James

Contact: Steve de Seve 917 330-6147