With a bullhorn in hand, she told her energetic crowd of supporters that it was hard to speak about this in such a public way but that’s how important this issue is.
Her roommate Rapp isn’t sure what he’ll do either if they lose this fight but he’s even more concerned for Kerman.
However, as stressful as this ordeal is for Kerman, she’s more concerned about the bigger picture.
“San Francisco is not the bridges, it’s not the buildings, it’s not the beautiful views and Victorians. It’s the people,” she said. “They want it to be a city of the rich and they think that’s progress and I don’t look at it that way I think it’s immoral what they’re doing and the people have to fight it or they’ll just keep doing it.”
Rapp warned that no renters in the city are safe from evictions—even if it hasn’t happened to you, it very well could, he said.
“I don’t think it’s right to displace longterm tenants so new people can move in. I don’t think it’s right to displace the very culture that makes SF attractive to move to. We are fighting for the sole of the city,” Rapp said.
He also reminded the crowd that tenants have the power to fight back.
“When the landlord offers you a buyout, you do not have to take it. Do not listen to him. Make him file the very expensive ellis eviction paperwork. Don’t make it easy for him. Make it as hard as you can,” Rapp said.
Rain poured down as the march departed from the 24th Street BART station to Valencia Street and then looped around to 22nd Street for a demonstration outside of the landlord’s office, located a few doors down from Revolution Cafe.
Protestors filled their lungs with chants such as, “Evicting seniors is not humane. Speculating is a shame. Renter power.”
After arriving in front of the landlord’s office, organizers were told Dattani wasn’t there. So they asked the marchers to take out their phones and to call and text him all day today and tomorrow. Many people carried signs with his phone number displayed, although slightly smudged from the rain. (742-0888 is the right number).
The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project has identified Dattani as one of the city’s “Dirty Dozen” landlords, a group of property owners who they say are “serial evictors.” Dattani has used the Ellis Act on 25 units, according to the website.
