Angry at L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti for refusing to back a recently proposed four-month freeze on rent increases for L.A.'s rent-controlled apartments, affordable housing advocates marched to his Echo Park home last Thursday, with the Los Angeles Police Department parked in the driveway to keep protesters from getting too close to his carefully renovated, hillside house.

One advocate yelled into a bullhorn, “No more will liberals like Eric Garcetti hide behind being progressive. Because if we can put him in, we can take him out!”

The Eastsider – L.A. reported about the march, with a video of the raucous protest appearing on YouTube. Various L.A. groups such as the Bus Riders Union and the Coalition for Economic Survival organized the event.

Garcetti, a darling of L.A. progressives for years, was called a “traitor” by protesters. They also chanted, “Get him out!” Garcetti was one of ten City Council members to vote against the rent freeze, which ultimately failed to win approval.

The 13th district city councilman was just re-elected last year to another four-year term, and he won't be able to run again due to term limits, so the protesters won't have the chance to deliver on their promise to vote him out of office.

But if the controversy over affordable housing has legs, it may somehow affect Garcetti's decision to run for mayor in 2013.

Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.

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