About 50 people joined the Bank Tenant Association press conference at 40 Fowler St., which we occupied Oct. 1. We started the press conference by chasing away Count Bankula, who had arrived to claim our neighborhood. We chased him down Fowler St., trailed by reporters and news cameras.

Six people who won back their homes through the struggle testified – Guy and Monique Lebrun (Stoughton), Anthony Allen (Boston), Khalid Ouahid (Revere), Mohamad Nour (Revere), Pam King (Boston), and Angela Williams-Mitchell (Boston).

At our occupation, we discovered that the foreclosure on 40 Fowler was invalid and the old owner still controlled the property. He was unable to attend but plans to rent the building to Herbert St. Simon and his family once insurance is worked out. The St. Simon’s were evicted from Charles St. in Hyde Park by Aurora Bank. Herbert spoke about how he could have purchased his old house at the price Aurora sold it for.

Brian McCormack of Occupy spoke, along with Marvin Martin from Greater Four Corners Action Coalition. Antonio Ennis performed his spoken word piece that includes all our chants. Brian talked about a new alliance emerging between members of Occupy and City Life/Vida Urbana.

Finally, we decorated our justice tree with personal ornaments that included the social justice hopes of participants for 2012. Occupy donated ornaments that were little tents made from cut up Bank of America debit cards!

Thank you to all who attended.