Florida Comrades Arrested for Feeding Homeless

[tachosomoza]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-homeless-feedings-arrests-20110601,0,7226362.story



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 (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/travel/tourism-leisure/gardens-parks/lake-eola-park-PLREC000028.topic).
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.


America, fuck yeah. :mad:

[tachosomoza]

What we should do is lead a group of around 150 homeless comrades to the local supermarket, and direct them to take what they need and leave. It's that simple. Shit like this grinds my gears to no end.

[Impulse97]

God damn our nation is full of so much bullshit. Why the fuck is feeding homeless people against the law? :blink: I mean shit, that's just fucked up. :mad:

If I had the cash I'd head to Cuba in a heartbeat....

[VirgJans12]

Is this serious? They got arrested for feeding poor people?

This is just outrageous. Arresting people for feeding the homeless because they don't have a permit is just crazy. Hell, the permit itself is crazy. Who thought up this law? Long live liberty in the US.

[Hebrew Hammer]

This is absurd, how are you going to arrest people for feeding the homeless? How are you going to outlaw feeding your fellow man whom is need? Are you going to outlaw salvation army? Or other organizations of that nature while we're at it? Fucking ridiculous, I agree with the above mentioned suggestion of action.

[Hebrew Hammer]

God damn our nation is full of so much bullshit. Why the fuck is feeding homeless people against the law? :blink: I mean shit, that's just fucked up. :mad:

If I had the cash I'd head to Cuba in a heartbeat....

No way, I don't understand why comrades want to move away, yeah, America is shit, that's why we need to stay here and change it.

[Impulse97]

No way, I don't understand why comrades want to move away, yeah, America is shit, that's why we need to stay here and change it.


America will NEVER change. It's too stuck it it's BS ways. Even if it was the last cap nation on earth they still wouldn't change. It would only make them more embattled.

[VirgJans12]

No way, I don't understand why comrades want to move away, yeah, America is shit, that's why we need to stay here and change it.

Because the US is probably the hardest country to bash capitalism and weird laws out of, and it won't change within our lifetimes.

[Impulse97]

It's this rugged individualism ingrained into the psyche of the average American. Relying on others is practically a sin. God forbid you lose your job and need assistance from the gov.

It's MY car, MY house, MY job, MY land, MY money that I earned with MY sweat, blood and tears. Share? But, that means I'll have LESS and that's not fair for ME.

[VirgJans12]

It's this rugged individualism ingrained into the psyche of the average American. Relying on others is practically a sin. God forbid you lose your job and need assistance from the gov.

I like your blog.

[tachosomoza]

Because the US is probably the hardest country to bash capitalism and weird laws out of, and it won't change within our lifetimes.

Stuff like this is going to piss enough people off that we just maybe might witness the opening salvos of the final war in our lifetimes. This shit honestly defies words. Sorta reminds me of this...

http://www.popdecay.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/1961-Freedom-Rides.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52GGO1FZg6g/TcHy3QBUcMI/AAAAAAAAADE/2UZBUJN2MGA/s1600/freedom-rides-white-backlash.jpg

http://breachofpeace.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/mugrow1.jpg

[Impulse97]

Stuff like this is going to piss enough people off that we just maybe might witness the opening salvos of the final war in our lifetimes. This shit honestly defies words. Sorta reminds me of this.

No it won't. It will get little if any news coverage and if it does they'll justify it because it broke the all mighty laws. And even if it causes a public outcry nothing will come of it. Wisconsin shows us that.

[tachosomoza]

No it won't. It will get little if any news coverage and if it does they'll justify it because it broke the all mighty laws. And even if it causes a public outcry nothing will come of it. Wisconsin shows us that.

People can only take so much. We're reaching that point of no return. The bourgeois grow bolder each day. It is our job as revolutionary leftists to bring issues like this to the public's attention. You don't expect Fox News and the other capitalist brainwashing channels to do it, do you? The people get angry when they know. It's our job to MAKE them know. Sitting on your ass in front of a computer talking to like minded others on a leftist forum does nothing to speed up the arrival of that breaking point when we as a whole say ENOUGH!! Getting out in the streets amongst the people does, however. If we had been more coordinated and worked with the people of Wisconsin more, hell, we can't even imagine what could have happened!

[Reznov]

No it won't. It will get little if any news coverage and if it does they'll justify it because it broke the all mighty laws. And even if it causes a public outcry nothing will come of it. Wisconsin shows us that.

About the only thing that actually happened that was said in this thread.

The Revolutionary struggle in America is as usual, a lost cause.

[tachosomoza]

About the only thing that actually happened that was said in this thread.

The Revolutionary struggle in America is as usual, a lost cause.

The cause is only as good as the people who fight it.

[nuisance]

peeps need to cheer up.

[Delenda Carthago]

Stop *****ing.Retaliate.

[Reznov]

The cause is only as good as the people who fight it.

Great motivational line, I will use that (Seriously.)

But when you are in a situation like in the US, where people are actively and constantly opposing Communist/Socialist ideals, the cause isn't going to go far.
Raise awareness all you want, we are still in the same situation as we were 10 years ago.

But I digress, this is leading to a discussion of how to implement change and revolution.

So no more de-railing the thread!

[tachosomoza]

We should lead the comrades to a supermarket in a gentrified yuppie area, or a pristine suburban area. How long do you think it'll be before they call in the jackbooted fascist tools? My guess is not very.

[MattShizzle]

This is utter bullshit. What are they supposed to do, just starve? Fucking right wing assholes.

[chegitz guevara]

Orlando's rationale was that regular feedings in Lake Eola Park led to the congregation of a constant homeless presence in the area, which was upsetting the people who live there (crime, littering, human waste). The Supreme Court recently upheld the ban, as the city doesn't outlaw feedings. It simply requires them to be spread around. This ruling was quite a shock to us. How the fuck do you outlaw sharing?

Of course, Orlando is not a small place, and it's not the easiest city to get around. Plus, how do you tell an indigent population where the next feeding is going to be, unless they make it to each feeding.

They are about to create a law like that here in Fort Lauderdale. Several comrades of FNB have a collective house in the city, and it's been subject to quite a bit of police harassment, including a warrantless raid where they kicked a hole through one of the doors. Two comrades were recently arrested on trespassing charges, while the cops ignored a bourgeois lady who walked on the same grass with her dog so it could take a leak.

The other night, FtL FNB held a feeding on the steps of City Hall. From my understanding, for the first time here, the homeless here are preparing to engage in civil disobedience. It's no longer FNB doing for the homeless. Through their political activity, some homeless here are finally becoming the subjects of their own liberation.

[MattShizzle]

Another thing is I'm sure those who passed this law consider themselves "Christians" even though that law is completely contrary to Jesus' teachings.

[tachosomoza]

Another thing is I'm sure those who passed this law consider themselves "Christians" even though that law is completely contrary to Jesus' teachings.

This IS fucked up, even for the South. You'd think they'd support FNB with all of their biblethumppery.

[☭The Revolution☭]

Death to america.

[MattShizzle]

Seems like it gets worse here in the US every day. I don't think we're all that far from Fascism, especially in the more right-wing states (South, Midwest, etc.)

[Ocean Seal]

This doesn't end here. We can't let the ruling class keep these people tied to their welfare system. This isn't even about the group feeding or about us. Its about people getting back on their feet and acquiring the conscience that together we can solve our problems and that neither the government or a ruling class "charity" is needed to make sure that everyone is fed. This is the governments way of saying that average people who don't serve the ruling class can't manage for themselves when we are showing them that we can.
We need to fight back. Direct action gets satisfaction people. We have to remember our roots and remember what that means. Direct action means that we don't care whether we have permission or not to do something. We can't be given permission and we can't have it taken away. We control our own destinies. That is the way that all mass movements start. Mass movements don't start when we play by their rules, they start when they say an absurd "NO" and we respond "Try to stop us". Let them bring their boot boys, the police, and hell even the national guard. They can't stop the working class. Food not Bombs has potential. They are strong and they have food and a message. Tell the ruling class: Fuck you. And trust me, I know that this is easier said than done. But let me tell you this. When its done you may have done something that has consequences that you didn't even see. Someone has to start somewhere and I truly salute those revolutionaries who say today, lets do it.

[tachosomoza]

This doesn't end here. We can't let the ruling class keep these people tied to their welfare system. This isn't even about the group feeding or about us. Its about people getting back on their feet and acquiring the conscience that together we can solve our problems and that neither the government or a ruling class "charity" is needed to make sure that everyone is fed. This is the governments way of saying that average people who don't serve the ruling class can't manage for themselves when we are showing them that we can.
We need to fight back. Direct action gets satisfaction people. We have to remember our roots and remember what that means. Direct action means that we don't care whether we have permission or not to do something. We can't be given permission and we can't have it taken away. We control our own destinies. That is the way that all mass movements start. Mass movements don't start when we play by their rules, they start when they say an absurd "NO" and we respond "Try to stop us". Let them bring their boot boys, the police, and hell even the national guard. They can't stop the working class. Food not Bombs has potential. They are strong and they have food and a message. Tell the ruling class: Fuck you. And trust me, I know that this is easier said than done. But let me tell you this. When its done you may have done something that has consequences that you didn't even see. Someone has to start somewhere and I truly salute those revolutionaries who say today, lets do it.

THAT'S the fire I'm talking about. Think about it, if our elders who were affiliated with the SDS, Weather Underground, SNCC, etc. back in the 1960s hadn't flipped the bird to the war-mongering, racist, misogynistic machine, and taken direct action initiatives to gain attention, where would we be?

[Ocean Seal]

THAT'S the fire I'm talking about. Think about it, if our elders who were affiliated with the SDS, Weather Underground, SNCC, etc. back in the 1960s hadn't flipped the bird to the war-mongering, racist, misogynistic machine, and taken direct action initiatives to gain attention, where would we be?
Exactly, it doesn't matter if were completely correct but if we don't act now we are just telling the the ruling class that if they fund a movement like the Tea Party they can take control. Our streets, our workplaces, our meetings are a battlefield and everyday we fight a battle. In Florida we are now fighting a great battle. It might not seem like much but a victory there, makes everyone question: Who are these guys? They're revolutionaries, and they won against a ridiculous capitalist agenda. Lets stop the capitalists before they do more damage.

[MattShizzle]

Weren't the WU and SLA 1970s? But yeah, this sort of thing makes me really wish even more the revolution would come and these scum would be put against the wall.

[tachosomoza]

Weren't the WU and SLA 1970s? But yeah, this sort of thing makes me really wish even more the revolution would come and these scum would be put against the wall.

WU, SLA were indeed 1970s, but they were formed from remnants of the SDS, which was most prominent in the '60s. It's a shame that leftists don't get down like that today.

[chegitz guevara]

There's no real indication that the SLA was anything more than a group of criminals who used revolutionary rhetoric opportunistically. According to Hearst, she was raped more or less continuously throughout her captivity.

Meanwhile, WU was a disaster.

Sure, it's fun to get your yah-yahs off smashing car windows and blowing up empty buildings, but the WU organized nothing.