More Arrests at Sacramento's Safe Ground

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-09-13 20:38:00 UTC
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For the third time in two weeks, Sacramento police arrested homeless people at a designated "safe ground" camping area for illegal camping.

For the third time in two weeks, police confiscated all of their equipment, including sleeping bags, tents, food, and cookware.

And for the third time in two weeks, the City of Sacramento has sent a cruel message to the world: They would rather criminalize their community's homeless than sanction a designated area where they can safely and peacefully live.

Fifteen people were arrested early Saturday morning for violating the city's anti-camping ordinance. Since the very public dismantling of Sacramento's infamous tent city several months ago, organizations and advocates have been camping in solidarity with the city's homeless at peaceful (but make-shift) "safe ground" sites. Although the campsite is on private land, leased by a local homeless advocate/lawyer, the city ordinance prevents camping on city property -- public or private -- for more than 24 hours at a time.

The arrests come on the heels of two similar police sweeps in the past two weeks and just days after a rally on the steps of Sacramento City Hall (see video from the event below). Advocates are calling for city officials to place a moratorium on the anti-camping ordinance and a sanctioned 'Safe Ground' camping site for homeless residents with no other place to live.

In the meantime, the peaceful advocacy continues. Campers have returned to the campground and replacement supplies have been collected (according to advocates, police are keeping the confiscated gear as "evidence"). Teams of advocates are staying with campers overnight as "legal observers" as a showing of solidarity.

If you live in the Sacramento area and would like to get involved in local advocacy efforts, please email me at shannon (at) change (dot) org for more info.

And for those of you across the country and around the world who are itching to get involved, sit tight. Change.org is awaiting direction from Sacramento advocates as they determine the next step and best strategy to ensure the city's homeless are no longer criminalized for not having a place to live.

Image and video from Loaves and Fishes.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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