Where can you get arrested for feeding homeless people?

[Jan]

Charity workers arrested for 'illegally' feeding homeless

Feeding the homeless in a public park without the proper permits can land you in jail, at least in Orlando, Fla. A recent report in the Orlando Sentinel explains that police officers there arrested three volunteers with the Food Not Bombs (FNB) charity for illegally feeding a large group of homeless individuals in Orlando's Lake Eola Park.

link - NaturalNews

[AndyHB]

I think this quote from further down the article puts this into perspective.

FNB admittedly knew that its recent actions would likely incite arrest, and even posted an alert on its website inviting supporters to "come ... (and) show support for the right to share food in public spaces and to observe the actions of Orlando police and city officials." Officials, however, say the group has always been free to feed the homeless in other designated areas, but instead decided to deliberately break the rules by feeding in the park.

  If you are going to intentionally break city bye-laws - however daft they might appear to be - arrest is a likely result.

[administrator]

I think this quote from further down the article puts this into perspective.

FNB admittedly knew that its recent actions would likely incite arrest, and even posted an alert on its website inviting supporters to "come ... (and) show support for the right to share food in public spaces and to observe the actions of Orlando police and city officials." Officials, however, say the group has always been free to feed the homeless in other designated areas, but instead decided to deliberately break the rules by feeding in the park.

  If you are going to intentionally break city bye-laws - however daft they might appear to be - arrest is a likely result.

The purpose of which was publicity... Job done!.. and well done to them.

On RT I saw a short video were people were being arrested for dancing in front of the Jefferson memorial!

Even in the UK folk were arrested for pre-crimes on the day of the royal wedding

[Jan]

So if there are under 25 homeless people there being fed - that is OK. Hit the magic number of 25 and you are in trouble? Crazy laws - what purpose do they serve? Who are they protecting?

[AndyHB]

We haven't been arrested for the work we do with the homeless in Cardiff, but there has been a considerable amount of tension between ourselves (the overall group, Rainbow of Hope, that is rather than the small group I help every 4th Thursday) and Marks and Spencers/Cardiff Council.

Until about 2 years ago, there were 2 'soup runs' for the homeless in Cardiff - one run by the Council and one by Rainbow of Hope.  They catered for different parts of the city so there wasn't a problem there.  However, there was an overlap of clientele because the council one started at 7.30 and ours at 8, allowing people to cover the 2.5 miles between the sites in time to get '2nds' from us if they timed it well!!  At the same time, we were using a church grounds just behind Marks and Spencers in the centre of town and they weren't overly enamoured of a bunch of homeless folk hanging around outside one of their entrances, especially during Thursday evening's late-night shopping session (which closes at 8pm).  They threatened an injunction of some sort - but it never went further than that.

[AndyHB]

So if there are under 25 homeless people there being fed - that is OK. Hit the magic number of 25 and you are in trouble? Crazy laws - what purpose do they serve? Who are they protecting?

I think the important thing is that the city were quite happy for the group to serve food in a variety of places across the city (or so the article implies) but this seems to have been in a park, and no doubt the city elders feel that such places should not be being used for this.  Remember, also, that many such homeless are homeless either as a result of their abuse of drink and/or drugs, or have taken them up having lost homes due to family breakdowns - and that when under the influence can become violent (we get occasional incidents of fighting on our programme - either between clients or, on very occasional occasions, when they start abusing us!).  Is this appropriate for a public park?

[Jan]

Even in the UK folk were arrested for pre-crimes on the day of the royal wedding

Sounds like Minority Report

I think the important thing is that the city were quite happy for the group to serve food in a variety of places across the city (or so the article implies) but this seems to have been in a park, and no doubt the city elders feel that such places should not be being used for this.  Remember, also, that many such homeless are homeless either as a result of their abuse of drink and/or drugs, or have taken them up having lost homes due to family breakdowns - and that when under the influence can become violent (we get occasional incidents of fighting on our programme - either between clients or, on very occasional occasions, when they start abusing us!).  Is this appropriate for a public park?

Yes they had other designated areas for feeding - but they would require a permit if the number they were feeding was over 25 in the park. What is with the number 25? How many helpers would be counting?
Also the abuse of drinking/drugs etc can happen anywhere where there are homeless folk - is it 'appropriate' anywhere else either, and could it happen equally with less than 25 homeless folk? See to me it doesn't really make sense. More certainly needs to be done to help these people (to help themselves too)  - working with the charities and not against them - esp if they are trying to highlight the plight of the homeless and needy. What they are doing is a good thing imo

We haven't been arrested for the work we do with the homeless in Cardiff, but there has been a considerable amount of tension between ourselves (the overall group, Rainbow of Hope, that is rather than the small group I help every 4th Thursday) and Marks and Spencers/Cardiff Council.

Until about 2 years ago, there were 2 'soup runs' for the homeless in Cardiff - one run by the Council and one by Rainbow of Hope.  They catered for different parts of the city so there wasn't a problem there.  However, there was an overlap of clientele because the council one started at 7.30 and ours at 8, allowing people to cover the 2.5 miles between the sites in time to get '2nds' from us if they timed it well!!  At the same time, we were using a church grounds just behind Marks and Spencers in the centre of town and they weren't overly enamoured of a bunch of homeless folk hanging around outside one of their entrances, especially during Thursday evening's late-night shopping session (which closes at 8pm).  They threatened an injunction of some sort - but it never went further than that.

Again shows that some degree of cooperation is needed between (charity/council/church) groups for when they are working together. M&S are probably bothered about trouble starting with the homeless and their customers - though here they are trying to help (granted it could also be viewed as a publicity stunt)

[Boudi]

So if there are under 25 homeless people there being fed - that is OK. Hit the magic number of 25 and you are in trouble? Crazy laws - what purpose do they serve? Who are they protecting?

Do like they do in schools, and have sittingd.

[Jan]

Do like they do in schools, and have sittingd.

would some not always want to go on priority?

[AndrewF]

even in this country there are equally daft laws - like being arrested for quietly reading a list of the fallen in Afghanistan while standing beside the cenotaph... It was deemed to be a protest and protests without specific permission are banned within a certain distance of Downing St and Westminster Palace.