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Indybay Feature

The 32nd Time: Freedom Sleeper Activists Hit City Hall Sidewalk

Date:
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Time:
5:00 PM - 5:00 AM
Event Type:
Protest
Organizer/Author:
Toby Nixon
Email:
Phone:
408-582-4152
Location Details:
Near the sacred grounds of City Hall at 809 Center St., in the courtyard until driven out at 10 PM by the anti-homeless "no public access at night" law in "progressive" Santa Cruz.

NUMBER THIRTY-TWO
Santa Cruz's homeless population still faces tickets and stay-away orders from parks at night, harassment in public spaces and buildings during the day, and the Sleeping Ban everywhere in the City after 11 PM. In solidarity with hundreds who have no shelter, Freedom Sleepers will gather at 5 PM and through the night for the 32nd Tuesday night weekly sleep-out.

Last week's Freedom SleepOut (#31) reportedly included 20 folks throughout the night.

MEDIA BEGINS ON MAYOR LANE'S SLEEPING BAN REFORM
In today's Sunday Sentinel, David Grishaw Jones of the Peace United Church of Christ has published a strong defense of the right to sleep at night--specifically criminalized here since 1978.
See http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20160213/the-rev-david-grishaw-jones-sleeping-should-not-be-against-the-law

Silver-tongued Steve Pleich has written an article for the on-line Street Spirit newspaper (soon to be available in hard copy in Santa Cruz at the Sub Rosa Cafe): http://www.thestreetspirit.org/santa-cruz-activists-join-together-to-defend-right-to-sleep/ on March 8 City Council meeting with move to strike "sleep"...

Lobbying the Sleep-toxic City Council continues from the more rarified regions of closed liberal and religious groups.

LOBBYING COMING UP
James Weller writes: "Don Lane says the most effective way to support his proposal (which he plans to introduce to the City Council on March 8), if you live in Santa Cruz, is to e-mail the City Council directly - citycouncil [at] cityofsantacruz.com. Say that Municipal Code Section 6.36 should be amended to remove from its text all references to “sleep,” “sleeping,” “sleeping bag,” “blanket,” and “bedding,” "in vehicles." "

The danger here--as with past such limited efforts--is that once Council nixes Lane's reform, "respectable" liberals will simply stay home or rely on loudly-touted but never-completed legal action when what's needed is intensified and focused protests.

OTHER AVENUES
Also a distant possibility--a lawsuit against the ban backed by the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty-- still in the organizing stage.

Former liberal governor Jerry Brown has reportedly also told a local establishment liberal that he may consider the creation of safe sleeping zones supported by the California Conservation Corp.

DIRECT ACTION PROSPECTS
More direct action by Toby Nixon and HUFF activists being done or under consideration includes free streaming police harassment of homeless sleepers, visible daytime homeless protests outside the relevant city hall offices, and ThugWatch on Pacific Avenue--housed activists monitoring the uniformed First Alarm Security "homeless watchers".

STILL MORE
Further postings on the 32nd Community SleepOut can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/1679782112277618/

Check out the great poster by Warming Center activist Brent Adams: https://www.facebook.com/santacruzsanctuary/photos/a.525272064184570.120239.525270847518025/1106964959348608/?type=3&theater


ATTACKS ON HOMELESS ELSEWHERE
Global Day of Action against the Arrest of Food Not Bombs in Moscow.
https://www.facebook.com/events/185674255131444/

New Salinas law attacks Chinatown homeless encampment:
http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/my-safety/2016/02/10/salinas-amends-homeless-property-ordinance/80087978/

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1774021562832523&set=gm.1739915619572928&type=3&theater

HUFF activist Robert Norse composed and posted this announcement with input from Pat Colby and Steve Pleich.

Added to the calendar on Sun, Feb 14, 2016 9:35PM

Comments (Hide Comments)
Go to http://news.homelessnessmarathon.org/ . Free Radio Santa Cruz will be broadcasting the Marathon at 101.3 FM and streaming it at http://www.freakradio.org. For the schedule and for more info go to http://news.homelessnessmarathon.org/ .

Note that Hour 7 (between 10 PM and 11 PM PST) will have a shout-out from local Freedom Sleeper Toby Nixon,fresh from Freedom Sleepout #32 the night before.
by Jeremy Alderson (posted by Norse)
2016 HOMELESSNESS MARATHON SCHEDULE (beginning Wednesday February 16 at 4 PM Pacific Standard Time)

times listed are EST. SUBTRACT THREE HOURS TO NOTE ACTUAL WEST COAST TIMES.
Each hour after the first begins with a short segment, a five-minute pre-recorded report, followed by a long 53-minute live segment. These short and long segments are marked on the broadcast schedule below. In addition to what is marked, we will be taking calls and recognizing speakers at our street mic throughout the broadcast.

HOUR 1
7pm LONG: We'll open with Brian Carome, director, and Robert Warren, vendor, from Street Sense, the homeless paper of D.C. We'll initiate the first ever "Homeless Primary" by asking homeless people who they support for president, and then, joined by homeless advocate Eric Sheptock, we'll begin a Homeless Walk Around the White House talking with homeless people there.

HOUR 2
8pm SHORT: The Doug Seegers Story – reported by Tasha Lemly

LONG: There's No "I" in" Team" and No "You" In Public Housing" Guest host: Parisa Norouzi of Empower DC.

HOUR 3
9pm SHORT: Street Poetry

LONG: The Second Hour of our Homeless Walk Around the White House, plus, from Philadelphia, Cheri Honkala, Director of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign.

HOUR 4
10pm SHORT: Finding A Home In Alaska – reported by Ann Hillman

LONG: You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Be Homeless, But It Helps: A look at Mental Illness and Homelessness. plus a shout-out from Brad Lancaster in Shoreline, Washington, who has a homeless encampment in his back yard. Guest host: Chantal James, WPFW.

HOUR 5
11pm SHORT: Street Poetry

LONG: If It Don't Feel Good, Why's It Illegal? – The Criminalization of Homelessness. Eric Tars, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; Paul Boden, Western Regional Advocacy Project, Kristin Matthews, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. Then: A talk with Red, a San Diego homeless man arrested for sleeping in a donated tiny house. Guest host: Otis Maclay.

HOUR 6
12am SHORT: Squatters in Venezuela – produced by Making Contact

LONG: The third hour of our Homeless Walk Around the White House.

HOUR 7
1am SHORT: Street Poetry

LONG: Guests: JoJo Valdez, who was swept from her homeless encampment in Boise, Idaho and Jessica McCafferty of the ACLU; then a shout-out from Toby Nixon, a homeless man protesting for homeless rights in Santa Cruz. Guest host: Otis Maclay, Pacifica Radio.

HOUR 8
2am SHORT: Profiles – Perry, Olive Oil and Junior by Tasha Lemly

LONG: The fourth hour of our Homeless Walk Around the White House plus a shout-out from Abbotsford, Canada, where they dumped chicken manure on a homeless encampment.

HOUR 9
3am SHORT: Street Poetry

LONG: What Becomes of Homeless Youth? plus, Nick Dicenzo, who heads Cannabis Can, a charity that distributes marijuana to homeless people in Denver, Colorado. Guest host: Katea Stitt, WPFW.

HOUR 10
4am SHORT: Working Homeless – reported by Anne Hillman

LONG: The fifth hour of our Homeless Walk Around the White House, plus a shout-out from Faygo, a homeless protester for homeless rights in Sacramento, California.

HOUR 11
5am SHORT: Street Poetry

LONG: Formerly homeless street musician Doug Seegers, from Sweden, and low-cost housing developer Sean Canonie, from Florida. Guest host: Katea Stitt, program director, WPFW.

HOUR 12
6am SHORT: Profile: Harley by Tasha Lemly

LONG: The sixth hour of our Homeless Walk Around the White House, plus a shout-out from Jared Stewart who, when we last spoke with him, had just been rousted from his homeless camp in New Orleans and was living under a bridge while awaiting back surgery.

HOUR 13
7am SHORT: Street Poetry

LONG: Is Anyone Anywhere Solving Homelessness? We'll take a look at some of the models being tried. Guest host: Joni Eisenberg, WPFW.

HOUR 14
8am SHORT: Homeless in Cape Cod – reported by Lucy Kang

LONG: The Homeless Walk Around the White House will come to an end at the White House, where housed and homeless people will gather, we'll announce the results of the "Homeless Primary," and everyone will sing the Star Spangled Banner.
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