[diggers350] Sleeping Ban Protest Prompts Mayor and Council Walk-Out

[Tony Gosling]

>From: "Becky Johnson" <wmnofstl at cruzio.com>
>To: "Street Spirit" <spirit at afsc.org>
>Subject: Sleeping Ban Protest Prompts Mayor and Council Walk-Out
>Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 02:37:27 -0800
>X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
>X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3
>
>Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom
>
>309 Cedar St. PMB 14B – Santa Cruz, Ca. USA 95060
>
>(831) 423-HUFF fax (831) 429-8529 e-mail Wmnofstl at cruzio.com
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Wednesday, March 29th, 2000
>
>
>Sleeping Ban Protest Prompts
>
>Mayor and Council Walk-Out
>
>
>Community reclaims Council Chambers; Holds Hour-long People’s Debate On
>Anti-Homeless Sleeping Ban
>
>
>Immediately following the widely publicized debate on the Santa Cruz Medical
>Marijuana Ordinance, The Santa Cruz City Council opened the oral
>communications period which is usually held at 7:00 PM. Mayor Keith Sugar
>cited the medical problems of several wheelchair-bound people who had come
>to speak in favor of the ordinance as his reason for taking the item out of
>order. Several large television stations, including CNN were on hand to
>broadcast the item, and Sleeping Ban protesters assumed Mayor Sugar didn’t
>want them to see and tape 30 minutes of testimony on the harassment and
>suffering of homeless people in Santa Cruz.
>
>The 100 or more protesters came to demonstrate against the City Council’s
>unwillingness to decriminalize sleeping at night despite the upcoming
>closing of the largest Shelter in Santa Cruz County on April 1st. "The
>homeless have waited long enough for a good night’s sleep," said Robert
>Norse of HUFF.
>
>The City’s Homeless Issues Task Force unanimously called for "suspension of
>ticketing under the Sleeping Ban pending the establishment of Safe Zones for
>the Homeless" last December 6th.
>
>Police Chief Steve Belcher documented 51 reported assaults against homeless
>people in 1999. The Homeless Services Center, The Santa Cruz County Coroner,
>and HUFF documented 19 homeless deaths in 1999. And Sleeping Ban activist,
>and AIDS sufferer, David Silva is in day 28 of his fast to end the Sleeping
>Ban. Yet no new shelter has opened for homeless people since July of 1998.
>
>Protester James Nay, speaking from the mike, asked Mayor Keith Sugar "will
>you vote now to place the Sleeping Ban on the agenda tonight as an emergency
> resolution?" Mayor Sugar remained silent. When the last speaker had spoken,
>20-30 people, many clad in blankets, lay down on the floor in front of the
>podium. Sugar recessed the meeting. Presenters for the Living Wage Ordinance
>sought to have access to the podium so Mayor Sugar could reconvene the
>meeting and have the Council consider an ordinance which would require the
>City to pay its own workers more. Protesters moved aside and urged the
>speakers to take the podium and proceed with the meeting. But Mayor Sugar
>instead, permanently recessed the meeting and he and the entire council
>vacated the chambers.
>
>For the next hour and a half, under the watchful eye of Sgt. Vogl and
>Officer Brandt, protesters and community members first listened to a
>presentation followed by a question and answer period on the Living Wage
>Ordinance. They then discussed the Sleeping Ban and what tactics should next
>be employed to end the anti-homeless law against sleeping and covering up
>with blankets.
>
>The Sleeping Ban opponents plan another meeting on Thursday, March 30th at
>7PM at Louden Nelson Community Center. Also planned is an All Night Street
>Party on Pacific Ave. on May 1st to End the Sleeping Ban. No arrests were
>made and no pies tossed.
>
>
>
-- 
Tony Gosling <tony at gaia.org>
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