WHAT: AFIRE, FACC, and the Filipino/a/x community will gather to seek a resolution to the forcible removal and violations set against the members, tenants, and community.
WHEN: Monday, April 24, at 9AM
WHERE: Rizal Center, 1332 West Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613
WHO: AFIRE staff, members, partners, supporters, Filipino/a/x community, allies, seniors, domestic workers, media, and lawyers
On Saturday, April 22, 2017 AFIRE staff, member, and volunteers were forcibly removed from their office by their landlord the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago (FACC). AFIRE was scheduled to have a member meeting about rights for undocumented immigrants and domestic workers.
There were multiple interactions that were not in line with our values at AFIRE including the use of police officers from the Chicago Police Department to push and physically remove senior citizens, people with disabilities, and undocumented immigrants from the building. The Rizal Center is a historic and symbolic space intended to remind us of our core values as a community. We hope that the community center can continue to be a sanctuary for people who feel oppressed, for people who seek refuge, and for people who hope to come together in a time of uncertainty. We strive for a continued sense of empathy, compassion, and solidarity especially in the face of significant challenges.
AFIRE stands committed to a process of transformative justice that allows us to address the trauma and harm that occurred. AFIRE invites our community to join us in a call for peaceful resolution that brings the Filipino/a/x community together and builds toward a shared vision that upholds our values of bayanihan, kapitbahayan, and damayan.
Media Contact:
Naomi Leilani Salcedo
Nsalcedo@afirechicago.org
773-315-0997