SARASOTA (WSNN) – People on the Suncoast are riled up and protesting on rentals and mortgages because of the economic downturn the pandemic has created. They gathered near City Hall in Sarasota on Saturday to host a car parade.
“At this time during a health pandemic, eviction equals death,” protest organizer, Ruth Beltran, said.
Protestors have one message: ‘Cancel the rents and mortgages.’ They’re asking banks to pay.
Beltran says with unemployment so high, the working class is suffering
“It’s just inhumane for us to expect the working class to bear the burden of this crisis,” Beltran said. “The suspension of evictions put in place by governor DeSantis has proven to be just a patchwork because many landlords have already filed evictions. We know hundreds of families are in jeopardy of getting evicted and become houseless at this time.”
About 50 people protested. Bradenton resident, Robyne Richardson, has lived in a rental home for about 3 years and is protesting for her family.
She says she along with other tenants in her plaza requested to at least reduce their rent by 50 percent, but the landlords denied them.
“My rents are being pushed down the line,” Richardson said. “So, for the two months, I will continue to have to pay an increased rent until it’s all caught up.”
Richardson says the stimulus checks re just a false sense of security, the money is not enough because the problem is just going to escalate.
Sarasota resident, who is another rental, Russell Reece, says she needs to receive payment s until jobs come back and people are able to support themselves again.
“If you’re having to think about how you’re going to feed your kids that day, you don’t also need to be worried about, if you’re going to sleep in the car with them or sleep in the street with them. It’s just inhuman,” Reece said.
Others like New College student, Steven Keshishian, isn’t renting, but he showed up to stand up for his friends who are suffering. He says representatives are not serving the people, but the corporate class of America.
“The consumers are the ones who make America. So during a pandemic, where people are dying, we’re evicting them, we’re hurting people in the country in a way we’ve never seen before, and our politicians are turning a blind eye on both aisles. Democrats-Republicans have failed all of us.”
Beltran says they plan to do more protests. There’s more information on https://www.canceltherents.org/.
