| Parkmerced Tries Eviction | |||||||||||
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In 1969, Paul was involved in the controversial
student strike by San Francisco State College students protesting the Vietnam
War. During this time, he received an eviction notice for his Parkmerced
apartment from his corporate landlord, Metropolitan Life Insurance. As was
his way, he successfully fought the eviction notice, and took a stand for
what he believed. In an article from the San Francisco Examiner on June
1, 1969, the story of this eviction attempt was reported.
"Paul Trafficante, 48, said Parkmerced management curtly informed
him by letter his lease on the three bedroom apartment will not be renewed
and that the family must be off the premises by June 30. |
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| The insurance company, according to Trafficante,
has never given a reason for the impending eviction.
But he added, he is certain it stems from his chairmanship of the Committee of Parkmerced Residents, a gathering of 21 families sympathetic to the student strike." "His work on the student strike support committee, said Trafficante, was 'Extremely moderate,' consisting generally of writing a position paper deploring violence, handing out sandwiches to striking teachers, and walking in the picket line. Trafficante was not arrested in the campus disturbances. He also was a member of the GI Civilian Easter Peace March Committee, which sought, but was denied permission to hold a four hour rally in the Presidio last March. Trafficante concedes his support of the State College strike caused division
in the housing community and that people he contacted were split almost
down the middle on his right to sympathize with strikers. |
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| Trafficante said his plans for fighting the injunction
are to retain Bergen Van Brunt, attorney for the once striking teachers
union, to seek an injunction against the eviction. 'It's a matter of free speech,' declared Trafficante." Eviction Notice is Withdrawn Later, the San Francisco Examiner reported his win in Parkmerced reversing the eviction notice. On July 3, 1969, the newspaper reported: "The eviction notice against a 15 year tenant of Parkmerced was withdrawn yesterday by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the project owner. The tenant, Paul Trafficante, claimed he lost his lease because he backed the student strike at San Francisco State College. 'It reaffirms my belief that the right of dissent will be supported at the grass roots level,' Trafficante told a press conference at the Family Service Agency at 1010 Gough Street. The agency, the city's Human Rights Commission and 21 neighbors had backed him in his fight for a renewal of the lease to his $185-a-month three-bedroom apartment, the 48-year-old engineering estimator said. The insurance company, according to Trafficante, never gave a reason for the now-withdrawn eviction notice. But he said he was certain it stemmed from his chairmanship of the Committee of Parkmerced Residents, a neighborhood group sympathetic to the student demonstrators." |
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