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Indybay Feature

Downtown Protest Against the Sleeping Ban Injunction and Law

Date:
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Time:
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Event Type:
Protest
Organizer/Author:
Robert Norse
Email:
Phone:
831-423-4833
Address:
309 Cedar PMB #14B Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Location Details:
On the sidewalk near Bunny's Shoes in downtown Santa Cruz at 1350 Pacific Ave.and its sister store across the street

Sidewalk demo of homeless folks, their supporters, and those outraged at last Friday's court decision making sleeping downtown a jailing crime for Anna Richardson and Miguel de Leon.

This Injunction was sought by the SCPD, by city employees, and by four businesses downtown including Bunny's Shoes.

The impact of the decision expands far beyond these two performers, since there are 1500-2000 homeless in Santa Cruz of whom less than 10% have shelter throughout the summer.

Homeless people face $97 citations, police harassment, theft and destruction of their property, and discrimination.

It is piling absurdity upon cruelty to ban sleeping downtown on pain of jail, yet allow no legal place for homeless people to sleep. MC 6.36.010 makes all nighttime sleeping illegal outside on public property already; the Injunction adds a jail penalty to the downtown area for this homeless couple.

Activists will also be presenting a Pledge on Human Rights and Harmony for merchants to display in their windows or in their stores in soldarity if they choose.

The pledge reads: "This business does not discriminate. We support Human Rights for the homeless community. In particular, the right to sleep at night--not anywhere and everywhere--but somewhere."

Educational protest was recently successful in restoring a positive relationship between Jack's (the hamburger joint next to the Nickelodeon) and the homeless community after numerous complaints of discrimination there.

Solidarity in resisting the police attack on the Farmer's Market Drum Circle has kept it going every Wednesday.

The Sleeping Ban was abolished in Los Angeles, San Diego, Richmond, and Laguna Beach. If redneck and yuppie communities can act reasonably towards the homeless, Santa Cruz can be persuaded to do the same.

Since the Downtown Association and their proxies on City Council (Robinson, Coonerty, Matthews) has been leading the crackdown on the homeless, it's time to "crack back".

Don't crack up, get crackin' ! Come on down and support real change downtown.

More info on this situation at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/06/02/18599901.php and http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/05/28/18598906.php ,
Added to the calendar on Fri, Jun 5, 2009 11:39PM
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