Libertarians arrested for feeding the hungry

[Hermit]

Three arrested, accused of illegally feeding homeless

Orlando police say they violated a city ordinance restricting the feedings.

June 02, 2011|By Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel

Jessica Cross, Ben Markeson and Jonathan "Keith" McHenry were arrested June 1 during a feeding of the homeless at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.

Members of Orlando Food Not Bombs were arrested Wednesday when police said they violated a city ordinance by feeding the homeless in Lake Eola Park.

Jessica Cross, 24, Benjamin Markeson, 49, and Jonathan "Keith" McHenry, 54, were arrested at 6:10 p.m. on a charge of violating the ordinance restricting group feedings in public parks. McHenry is a co-founder of the international Food Not Bombs movement, which began in the early 1980s.

The group lost a court battle in April, clearing the way for the city to enforce the ordinance. It requires groups to obtain a permit and limits each group to two permits per year for each park within a 2-mile radius of City Hall.

Arrest papers state that Cross, Markeson and McHenry helped feed 40 people Wednesday night. The ordinance applies to feedings of more than 25 people.

"They intentionally violated the statute," said Lt. Barbara Jones, an Orlando police spokeswoman.

Police waited until everyone was served to make the arrests, said Douglas Coleman, speaking for Orlando Food Not Bombs.

"They basically carted them off to jail for feeding hungry people," said Coleman, who was not present. "For them to regulate a time and place for free speech and to share food, that is unacceptable."

Orlando Food Not Bombs has been feeding the homeless breakfast on Mondays for several years and dinner on Wednesdays for five years.

Police had not enforced the ordinance while the court battle continued. The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta ruled that city rules regulating how often large groups of people can be fed in a park do not violate the Constitution.

The penalty for violating Orlando's ordinance is 60 days in jail, a $500 fine or both.

Arrest documents state that Orlando Food Not Bombs received permits and fed more than 25 homeless people at Lake Eola Park on May 18 and 23. Coleman said the group rejected the permits.

On May 25, Orlando Food Not Bombs illegally fed a large group of homeless people, the police report states. The group on its website called for members to show up that day and defy the city ordinance, according to the report.

Officers said they found a press release on Markeson when they arrested him stating that group members planned to defy the ordinance Wednesday.

Bail was set at $250 for each person arrested. Cross and Markeson were released from jail early

Thursday. McHenry wants to stay in jail and let the legal process take its course, Coleman said.

The tally of arrests stands at 21 now.

[Animavore]

What type of bullshit law is that?

Next they'll be telling us not to pay them cash for sexual favours.

[Pappa]

Same was supposed to happen in Westminster...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... ster-bylaw
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12594397

Not sure if it happened.

[mistermack]

I would support that law.
There are plenty of places you could feed the homeless, without fucking up the ambience of a public park.
It sounds like a "look at me " kind of feeding. Making a statement, rather than real charity.
There are plenty of good charities who feed the homeless behind the scenes, without wanting to make a song and dance about it, and the homeless are fully aware of where they are.

I've got no respect for people who want to make a show out of charity.
.

[leo-rcc]

I've got no respect for people who want to make a show out of charity.

Oddly enough I find myself in agreement. This article just didn't sit right with me when I read it.

[Robert_S]

It's actually a political statement when it's Food not Bombs.

Arrest documents state that Orlando Food Not Bombs received permits and fed more than 25 homeless people at Lake Eola Park on May 18 and 23. Coleman said the group rejected the permits.

If I understand that correctly, those people wanted it to be against the law. Likewise, there was a Food not Bombs in my town, until they wouldn't leave the park when there was a city festival (Taste of Champaign) and suddenly found the health inspectors breathing down their necks. Now they're out of the picture and so is the tent city that was in the back lawn of the Catholic Worker House.

Ya gotta pick yer battles wisely.

[sandinista]

Food not bombs "libertarians"? I don't think so. Where did you get that? I actually used to be in Food not bombs a long time ago and fe the homeless in various different cities. At that time it certainly wasn't a libertarian group.

There are plenty of places you could feed the homeless, without fucking up the ambience of a public park.

A lot of times the location is picked a central to where the homeless are. As was pointed out, Food not Bombs is also about making a political statement.

It sounds like a "look at me " kind of feeding. Making a statement, rather than real charity.

Only "look at me" so much as a political message. I have no problem with this as there are plenty of "look at me" on the other side with billboards, and advertising saturating most public spaces.

There are plenty of good charities who feed the homeless behind the scenes, without wanting to make a song and dance about it, and the homeless are fully aware of where they are.

Not true in all cities. A lot of cities, at least here in canaduh, the charities that feed the homeless are all christian based, some make people pray before eating. They have a religious song and dance.

[mistermack]

Not true in all cities. A lot of cities, at least here in canaduh, the charities that feed the homeless are all christian based, some make people pray before eating. They have a religious song and dance.

Not that many. In fact, I bet you are talking about the salvation army.
They are the only ones that I know of that make people pray. And I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.
Most of the others just do good work in the background, without shouting about it.
I went to a catholic-run one in Vancouver ( many many years ago ) and they were beyond reproach. No religious message, and real help. The sally army were just bullying assholes.

[sandinista]

Not true in all cities. A lot of cities, at least here in canaduh, the charities that feed the homeless are all christian based, some make people pray before eating. They have a religious song and dance.

Not that many. In fact, I bet you are talking about the salvation army.
They are the only ones that I know of that make people pray. And I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.
Most of the others just do good work in the background, without shouting about it.
I went to a catholic-run one in Vancouver ( many many years ago ) and they were beyond reproach. No religious message, and real help. The sally army were just bullying assholes.

We have more than just the salvation army shits here running soup kitchens. Most are religious based. I just think any secular help to the homeless is a good thing.

[Warren Dew]

It's very common for cities to require permits for big cookouts. Those laws are perfectly reasonable. Sounds like these guys primarily wanted to make a stink rather than actually help the homeless.

[sandinista]

It's very common for cities to require permits for big cookouts. Those laws are perfectly reasonable. Sounds like these guys primarily wanted to make a stink rather than actually help the homeless.

no, if FNB is the same as it was when I was involved it is more about feeding the homeless.

[Robert_S]

It's very common for cities to require permits for big cookouts. Those laws are perfectly reasonable. Sounds like these guys primarily wanted to make a stink rather than actually help the homeless.

no, if FNB is the same as it was when I was involved it is more about feeding the homeless.

It's not a centralized thing, it's a meme and it has deep roots in civil disobedience.

From their website:

The first group was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1980 by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegan and vegetarian meals that are served in outside in public spaces to anyone without restriction. Many Food Not Bombs groups also share groceries and organize other efforts to support their communities. Each independent group also serves free meals at protests and other events. The San Francisco chapter has been arrested over 1,000 times in government's effort to silence its protest against the city's anti- homeless policies. Amnesty International states it will adopt those Food Not Bombs volunteers that are convicted as "Prisoners of Conscience" and will work for their unconditional release.

[charlou]

It's very common for cities to require permits for big cookouts. Those laws are perfectly reasonable. Sounds like these guys primarily wanted to make a stink rather than actually help the homeless.

no, if FNB is the same as it was when I was involved it is more about feeding the homeless.

It's not a centralized thing, it's a meme and it has deep roots in civil disobedience.

From their website:

The first group was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1980 by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegan and vegetarian meals that are served in outside in public spaces to anyone without restriction. Many Food Not Bombs groups also share groceries and organize other efforts to support their communities. Each independent group also serves free meals at protests and other events. The San Francisco chapter has been arrested over 1,000 times in government's effort to silence its protest against the city's anti- homeless policies. Amnesty International states it will adopt those Food Not Bombs volunteers that are convicted as "Prisoners of Conscience" and will work for their unconditional release.

Yes, but look at what they're disobeying: laws about feeding the homeless. They're protesting civic anti-homeless policies.

[Robert_S]

It's very common for cities to require permits for big cookouts. Those laws are perfectly reasonable. Sounds like these guys primarily wanted to make a stink rather than actually help the homeless.

no, if FNB is the same as it was when I was involved it is more about feeding the homeless.

It's not a centralized thing, it's a meme and it has deep roots in civil disobedience.

From their website:

The first group was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1980 by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegan and vegetarian meals that are served in outside in public spaces to anyone without restriction. Many Food Not Bombs groups also share groceries and organize other efforts to support their communities. Each independent group also serves free meals at protests and other events. The San Francisco chapter has been arrested over 1,000 times in government's effort to silence its protest against the city's anti- homeless policies. Amnesty International states it will adopt those Food Not Bombs volunteers that are convicted as "Prisoners of Conscience" and will work for their unconditional release.

Yes, but look at what they're disobeying: laws about feeding the homeless. They're protesting civic anti-homeless policies.

Actually, I was wrong in my earlier post, they were issued permits but it wasn't that they didn't want to cooperate with the city.

The Orlando City Council passed the ordinance nearly five years ago after complaints about regular large group feedings at Lake Eola from nearby businesses and residents. They said some people gathering for free meals were creating a nuisance in the area — aggressively panhandling, littering, using bushes as toilets, etc.

The ordinance bans feedings for groups of 25 or more at parks within two miles of Orlando's City Hall without a permit, and limits those permits to two per park per year. But Orlando Food Not Bombs, which filed the lawsuit that led to April's appeals ruling, has continued to flout the measure with feedings twice a week at Lake Eola.

The group's heart is in the right place, but its meals aren't. City parks are urban refuges for residents and visitors to play, relax and recharge. They shouldn't become regular delivery points for community services.

Lake Eola is Orlando's signature park. If public feedings belong there, what about other services, such as drug treatment or family crisis counseling?

[Atheist-Lite]

Food Not Bombs.