~ NEWS ~
Community Activists Under Attack
Chokehold used on drummer
by Grrr-ant
Wednesday Sep 17th, 2008 8:07 PM
Santa Cruz Indymedia
Friday, May 28, 2010
Demo and Harassment Trial for Wes Modes was held on Friday May 28 a protest rally was held on the steps of the Courthouse
As described below, Wes and others are being targeted.
The Guerrilla Theater was dispersed on Friday 5-21 from its customary viewing spot under the Soquel St. bridge.
The Drum Circle was relocated under police pressure from its traditional location on Cedar St. to the levy next to the Soquel Bridge area.
Street musicians downtown have reformed for mutual protection as the Street Performers Guild after being driven away with ticketing threats for false claims of "Unreasonably Disturbing Noise". <Read Full Article>
Homeless Frame-Up by Cops and City Attorney Defeated in Rare Court Victory
by Robert Norse
Saturday, Mar 2, 2010
The City's "Go to Sleep; Go to Jail" campaign suffered defeat with two "Not Guilty" verdicts after a four-hour contempt hearing for Anna Richardson and Miguel deLeon. Judge Timothy Volkman returned to the plain language of MC 6.36.010c which makes sleeping, even on blankets, even with your possessions around you, a legal activity during the day if you have no intention of remaining overnight and haven't "set up a campsite", no matter how much that infuriates police officers who want you to move along. <Read Full Article>
Plan to Install Fake Parking Meters to Help Homeless Actually Tricky Scheme to Establish 14 Foot Stay Away Zones – Stores Pay $500 for the Extra Protection
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Pacific Avenue, the “mall” as it is known to the locals, appears to be straight out of Hollywood’s central casting, with wide tree lined sidewalks and shiny busy stores. Cars (usually) stop for the throngs of shoppers cascading into crosswalks, clutching ice creams cones and bags of loot piled onto credit cards. <Read Full Article>
Tent Cities in America: A Pacific Coast Report
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The National Coalition for the Homeless announces the first in a series of reports on the growing number of tent cities across the United States. The new report released 03-04-2010 is focusing on west coast encampments. Tent Cities in America: A Pacific Coast Report looks at how current tent cities have emerged and operate on a daily basis, highlighting the community organizing efforts at work within these settlements and the growing need for affordable and accessible housing nationwide.
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/tent_cities_pr.html
Fresno Homeless Fight for Justice
By Mike Rhodes
Tuesday Jan 26, 2010
About 50 homeless people and their supporters were in Fresno County Civil Court this afternoon. They were there to stop the eviction of homeless people living on a vacant lot at Ventura and F street. The City of Fresno has been trying to evict about 100 people from the encampment for the last month.
The city is seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that would give them the legal right to evict the residents in the encampment. They are so confident that they will get the TRO that they have already posted eviction notices which say the residents will be forced to move on Thursday. The judge did not issue the order today, saying he needed time to think about it.
The homeless marched from the encampment to the courthouse this afternoon. Several of them are represented by attorneys from Central California Legal Services (CCLS). Before court started, the room was filled with the homeless and their supporters. Someone had passed out American flags, which several people were holding. The bailiff announced that there would be no waving of flags during the hearing and if there was he would have the person committing the heinous act arrested... <Read Full Article>
Fresno Homeless Fight for Justice, Part 2
By Mike Rhodes
Wednesday Jan 27, 2010
The City of Fresno tried a new approach in court today in their ongoing attempt to evict the homeless in an encampment at Ventura and F street in downtown Fresno. They dropped their effort to get a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and convinced the judge to dismiss a case they had brought before the court.
With the court hearings over, the city now plans to move forward with the evictions, claiming the “owner” of the property has asked them to clear the homeless people off the land. The city is expected to say the homeless are trespassing and subject to arrest if they do not leave.
Some homeless advocates say the city has mis-stated the ownership issue of the property and coerced the “so called” owner into asking for the homeless to be removed. The legal owners of the property died and it is now in probate. Robert and Walt Williams were in court and testified that they owned the property. Walt Williams is the executer of the estate and will decide who owns the property. If the homeless advocates are correct and the property is not currently owned by the Williams’s, it could make any arrests that take place on Thursday problematic for the city. The homeless are talking about challenging any arrests that occur in court, through civil action. ... <Read Full Article>
Ginger Rutland: Homeless 'safe ground' not quite Eden, but a step
By Ginger Rutland grutland@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 2E
Eden that's what Sacramento's homeless campers and their advocates call the legal campground or "safe ground" they hope to establish in an empty field behind two existing homeless shelters north of downtown.
No one not the homeless campers, not their advocates and certainly not their legions of critics believes safe ground will solve the problem of homelessness. Nor will it end the proliferation of illegal campgrounds that have popped up all over our region.
As Joan Burke, the tireless homeless advocate from Loaves & Fishes, has said repeatedly, the safe ground movement is a response to an emergency, not the usual natural-disaster kind of emergency floods, fires or hurricanes, but a slow-moving series of catastrophes that have driven a sizable number of people from their homes. Granted, some of these "emergencies" are self-inflicted alcoholism, drug addiction and, yes, laziness and irresponsibility. Others such as mental illness, domestic violence and a collapsing economy are beyond the victim's control. <Read Full Article>
Moving toward "Safe Ground"
by Jonathan Mendick,
published on September 20, 2009 at 9:11PM
Though homelessness is not a new problem, the number of homeless people in Sacramento has increased over the last few years because of the state's budget crisis and cuts to federal programs. On June 30, hundreds of county shelter beds became unavailable, forcing more homeless onto Sacramento streets.
In answer to the shortfall, Safe Ground Sacramento was inaugurated on July 1. Organized by community members, nonprofits and businesses, Safe Ground seeks to provide the homeless with a safe place to be. Hundreds gathered that day for a rally and march to kick off the movement. Among them was Jacoby Shaddix, the formerly homeless lead singer of local band Papa Roach.<Read Full Article>
After 15 more arrests, homeless campsite still not resolved
By Julie Johnson and Cathy Locke
jjohnson@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Sep. 13, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
Sacramento police arrested 15 more homeless people Saturday at a vacant lot just north of downtown. The campers were released the same day, and some soon returned to the lot that is morphing from a campground into a battleground.
Saturday's arrests followed at least a half-dozen such raids where police have cited and rousted from 15 to 35 people who have occupied the lot at 1221 C St. since a local attorney opened the site to the homeless on Aug. 21.
Police say the campers are violating an ordinance that prohibits urban camping for longer than 24 hours. The homeless campers say they want a legal "safe ground" with basic services such as garbage pickup and portable toilets.
Update: Sacramento police arrest 17 at 'safe ground' homeless camp
By Li Lou and Cynthia Hubert
llou@sacbee.comPublished: Friday, Sep. 4, 2009 - 9:05 am
Last Modified: Friday, Sep. 4, 2009 - 1:34 pm
Sacramento police arrested 17 homeless residents at their "safe ground" campsite this morning, including one advocate for the homeless.
Rev. David Moss, a Methodist Minister, was taken into custody along with other campers, charged with illegal camping, Sacramento police Sgt. Norm Leong said.
A press release by Loaves & Fishes early morning claimed Sister Libby Fernandez, executive director of the Loaves & Fishes homeless services group, was arrested together with other campers. But later Sacramento police clarified that she was only detained for a short period when police arrived to search the camp. <Read More>
ACLU challenges Santa Monica
over treatment of homeless
10:00 AM | July 14, 2009
The ACLU of Southern California today filed a civil rights suit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against the city of Santa Monica, saying police routinely violate homeless people's constitutional rights and the Americans With Disabilities Act by harassing and arresting them even as the city fails to provide sufficient shelter beds ... <read full article>
Laguna Beach Settles Lawsuit Over Homeless Ordinance
Thursday, Jun. 25 2009 @ 12:36PM
By Matt Coker in A Clockwork Orange, Breaking News
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a-clockwork-orange/laguna-beach-settles-lawsuit-o/
Laguna Beach agreed today to settle a lawsuit over the city's treatment of disabled homeless people, according to the ACLU of Southern California.
"Under the agreement, the city's police officers will not cite, arrest or harass people under state law simply for sleeping in public places, as long as there are no reasonable public health or safety concerns," states a just-released media advisory from the civil rights group. "The agreement also establishes a process for sealing, expunging or destroying citations that were written, and convictions that were obtained, under the city's 'anti-sleeping' ordinance."... <read full article>
Camping ban under attack
A council majority seems ready either to make the Flagstaff law more compassionate or repeal it.
By JOE FERGUSON
Sun Staff Reporter
Thursday, May 28, 2009
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/05/28/news/20090528_front_197115.txt
The 2005 ordinance that got Flagstaff labeled one of America's 10 "meanest" cities might not last the summer.
Just in time for the influx of Phoenix transients, a majority of the seven-member Flagstaff City Council is ready to either repeal the city's anti-camping law or make it substantially more compassionate. Mayor Sara Presler said Tuesday she disliked the current law, saying it is inhumane and unfairly targets the local homeless population... <read full article>
Policing Our Way Out of Homelessness:
The First Year of the Safer Cities Initiative on Skid Row (L.A.) a failure per major study
http://www.law.ucla.edu/docs/Skid%20Row%20Safer%20Cities%20One%20Year%20Report.pdf
Come join us!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. - rain cancels
Come explore 4 1/2 acres of fun of the Car Camping Festival.
Click for Link TO MAP AND DIRECTIONS
