CLINTON - A dozen black activists protest Harlem office lease

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A dozen black activists hold Clinton protest in Harlem

By KATHERINE ROTH - The Associated Press - 4/13/01 3:32 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- A dozen black activists Friday protested outside President Clinton's future office in Harlem, calling his move a last step toward a "white takeover" in the historically black neighborhood.

The protesters, members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, wore black uniforms and chanted "Black power" and "Long live black Harlem."

The group, which calls for socialism and nationalism among blacks, handed out flyers to passersby on 125th Street, Harlem's main thoroughfare, but many residents would not take the pamphlets and no one stopped to join the small rally.

"These people still think we're living in the 60s," muttered Melton Brian, a longtime Harlem resident, as he passed by the two rows of protesters.

Speaking to reporters, group spokesman Malik Zulu Shabazz said the protest was the beginning of a "political war" against Clinton's decision to move his office to Harlem, and against the gentrification of Harlem which is driving up rents and forcing some longtime residents to move.

"We will not allow some cracker like Bill Clinton to set the stage to drive black people out of Harlem," he said.

Clinton has not yet moved into the 14th-floor office space in the newly renovated building. He had been expected to sign the lease by the end of this week; his spokeswoman, Julia Payne, declined to comment Friday.

Clinton's decision to move to the historic black neighborhood was largely well-received by residents and local politicians when the plan was announced in February. Throughout his term, the former president enjoyed consistently high opinion poll numbers with black voters.

-- Anonymous, April 13, 2001


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