Brooklyn tenants rally to support activist facing retaliatory eviction

November 15, 2023 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Brooklyn Civil Court at 141 Livingston St., the site of a significant rally where tenant unions, community groups and officials gathered in support of tenant rights and against retaliatory evictions.
Photo: Rob Abruzzese

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A diverse coalition of tenant unions, community groups and elected officials rallied in front of the Brooklyn Housing Court on Tuesday afternoon in support of tenant leader Fidele Albert.

The rally aimed to bring attention to Albert’s protracted three-year struggle against her landlord, David Spindler, who is accused of engaging in abusive behaviors and retaliatory eviction efforts.

Albert, an active member of the Flatbush Tenant Coalition, the Crown Heights Tenant Union and Brooklyn Eviction Defense, has been at the forefront of advocating against unsafe living conditions and tenants’ rights violations.

Albert alleges that her landlord, Spindler, subjected her to various forms of harassment, including denying access to essential facilities and utilities, in an attempt to evict her as a consequence of her tenant advocacy.

The rally, which was followed by an occupation of the Brooklyn Housing Court, was part of a broader movement to uphold tenants’ rights and advocate for systemic changes.

The supporters demanded the immediate dismissal of the eviction case against Albert, the granting of a permanent lease for a vacant apartment at the same rent she currently pays, and compensation for the alleged abuse by Spindler. The organizations involved are also calling for wider reforms, including a prohibition on winter evictions and the establishment of universal rent control.

Participants from various groups, including the Crown Heights Tenant Union, Right to Council Coalition, Brooklyn Eviction Defense Tenant Union and the Flatbush Tenant Association, gathered at the Brooklyn Civil Court, located at 141 Livingston St.