Community members opposing the City of Monterey's new sit-lie ban held their third sit-in on Alvarado Street on April 3. Individuals with Direct Action Monterey Network (DAMN) and other supporters returned to the same location of the previous two demonstrations and faced increased pressure from business owners, who expressed more aggressively their desire for the group to either move the location of their gathering, or leave the downtown area altogether and stop protesting.

The sit-lie ban, which was approved by the Monterey City Council in the summer of 2014, went into effect in October. Sitting or lying on commercial sidewalks in the city is now a crime between the hours of 7:00am and 9:00pm. To receive a citation, an individual must first be warned by police. "No person may be cited for a violation of this section until a peace officer first warns said person that his or her conduct is unlawful and said person is given a change [chance] to stop said conduct," the ordinance reads.

In response, demonstrators have scheduled protests to occur monthly, so that people can sit on the sidewalk freely and participate every month without risk of citation. "If they really want to have such a discriminatory law (which clearly targets homeless people and travelers), then let's clog their bureaucracies with lot's of citations! There are no fines if you don't do it again for 30 days," a statement announcing the intent of the sit-lie protest explained.

Read More with Photos and Video | Direct Action Monterey Network (DAMN) | See Also: Community Members Continue to Protest the Sit-Lie Ban in Monterey

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