Humboldt Revolution

Growing Encampment Protesting Human Rights Violations Against Houseless
People
PEOPLE PROJECT Proposes Free, People-Run, Eco-Sustainable Campground

Thirty-five houseless people and supportive community members began a
demonstration on city property, the lawn of the ‘neighborhood center’ on D
Street in Arcata Saturday afternoon. Later that evening, the demonstrators
set up tents to form an encampment where people have been dialoguing,
skill-sharing and sharing food during the day and sleeping at night. By
Monday many more people are participating in, visiting and supporting the
encampment. Early Monday a banner was posted over highway 101: “It’s a
Crime to Sleep Outside. Is that alright with you?”

The encampment protest has been organized by People Project to reveal the
crisis of persistent cruelty and human rights violations that houseless
people face every day and every night in this community. The goal of the
encampment protest is to ultimately generate community support for a free,
people-run and eco-sustainable campground.

Some of the signs displayed by protesters read: “Sleep Deprivation is
Torture;” “Where Would Jesus Sleep?;” and “Dignity and Respect for All.”
Houseless activist Charlie said “we are reclaiming this public space to
inspire dialogue with others in the community about the need for a
people-run, free, ecologically, sustainable campground.” “It is already
meeting a concrete need for many by providing shelter, safety and food” he
continued.

Over 200 people in the Arcata area, children, veterans, grandparents,
elderly, activists, teens, babies are without available shelter or even a
safe outside place to exist free of harassment.

One young man attested, “I got woke up by APD the other day. They arrested
me and I was beat up for no reason.  The next morning both my arms hurt
like hell, and I have marks on my wrists from hand cuffs, and I had a bump
on my head, and my nose was all broken.” Even when houseless people do not
get beat up, they are rousted from sleep often between 2am and dusk and
forced to hide someplace else or stay awake. These types of reports are
common at People Project meetings where houseless and concerned people
meet Tuesday nights. At meetings people eat, share stories, organize
around human rights, support each other and create autonomous solutions.

People Project wants to be clear that the encampment action is not asking
for money or “help” from government. “We have found that to be useless”
said longtime People Project participant, reflecting on a history of local
protest and articulated needs by houseless people and advocates in local
government forums. Rather, with this action People Project seeks to
connect with caring community members and strengthen the houseless
community’s vision of a campground.

As the first protest signs went up on rainy Saturday, “Ranger Bob” Murphy
of the Arcata Police Department arrived. Murphy is notorious for ambushing
people sleeping in the forest and harassing houseless people and people
that he profiles “transient” and homeless.  He promptly ordered B & B
Portable Toilets to remove the port-a-potty for which demonstrators had
paid earlier that day.  Not only is it criminal to sleep anywhere in
Arcata, but in addition, there are NO public restrooms.

An interaction at the encampment with Arcata City council member Paul
Pitino, involved discussion about the illegality of the city’s policies
that target houseless people and fly in the face of  the 9th Circuit
Court’s  ‘Jones’ decision in 2006. For a community that considers itself
progressive, it seems unthinkable that there would be such an increasing
number of poor and houseless people falling victim to constant harassment
and violations.

People Project believes that if the real day and night truth is known by
caring people in Arcata and surrounding areas, and if prejudices can be
broken down through the encampment, compassion, cooperation, and dignity
will flourish in the area.

Encampment participants invite the public to stop by anytime, day or
night, and support the camp and a future free, people-run, eco-sustainable
campground.

Friday, April 27, 6:00-9:00pm
Goodwin Forum, HSU

Poetry         Dialogue          Art           Music           Film
FREE

Join us as we give a voice to those incarcerated while learning about the
realities of imprisonment today.

No One deserves to be Silenced.

6:00pm    Film Screening:  ‘Concrete and Sunshine’
This film documents the social impacts of massive prison expansion,
showing complex connections and consequences inherent in this alarming
social trend.  Arguing that a central component of prison is isolation,
the film begins with interviews of prisoners housed in solitary
confinement in California’s first super-maximum security prison, Pelican
Bay State Prison.

7:00pm     Keynote ASHANTI ALSTON
Former political prisoner and Black Panther Party member Ashanti Alston
will dialogue with us about the ‘prison industrial complex’ and how it
affects our communities

8:00pm  Voices from the Inside
Works created by inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison, located just 63
miles North of HSU will be read by students, faculty and community members

Peace be with you.

The Humboldt County Board of the Supervisors has come up with yet another plan to save the people of Humboldt County from a problem that does not exist. The plan initially requires owners of non-pedigreed dogs and cats 4 months or older to sterilize their beloved pets, but alludes to the Supes overall plan to prevent any and all poor people in Humboldt County from having pets. The rich, beautiful people of course can purchase expensive, high-strung, inbred, and obnoxious pets, and breed them at will. The poor, struggling, working people will be required to purchase their pets from these inferior gene pools. Not only is this new proposed law unconstitutional, but will create many more problems then the ones the Supes believe will come in the next century or two if they don’t stop people from enjoying pets today.

The first and foremost reason not to pass this “doggy eugenics” law is that the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Commonly called “due process,” the 14^th amendment says that, “ALL PEOPLE ARE EQUAL UNDER THE LAW.” Not just rich pedigreed dog owners, but even mutt owners are to be treated equally. You can not enact a law that allows for one group of citizens to enjoy a civil right or protection of the law that doesn’t apply to every single American.

The second good reason not to pass the law is also a constitutional affront. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution bans the taking of a person’s property for public use in absence of a court ruling and “just compensation.” In other words if the County takes my poor dogs testicles, in the name of the “public good,” (i.e.: shelter workers have less dogs to shelter), then they owe me all the revenue I would ever earn from the reproductive capabilities of said testicles.

The third reason that this obviously shortsighted law is a bad idea is the loss of innovation in animal husbandry. Take Griz as an example. If I owned a pure breed sled dog like a Malamute or a Husky I wouldn’t be able to run him on the streets. Only because of his unique blood lines does Griz have the pulling ability and the feet to be able to perform the work he performs. Many of you have asked for Griz’s puppies if or when I finally allow him to have puppies, but with this law you will never have that opportunity.

In the United States, property rights include animals. I have a right to enjoy and use my property, including the reproductive capabilities of my animal(s), so long as I refrain from violating others rights by owning that property. The purposed law is not based on violation of other law. A crack pipe is illegal because it might be used to smoke crack, which is illegal. Even if my dog mates with another dog it will have violated no law. It is still legal in the United States to breed dogs regardless of their “social class.”

A fourth reason for stopping this stupid law is the fact that punishing the whole class because one student does something wrong is bullshit! It is not my fault that the parade of “animal welfare workers” who advocated this law in front of the Supes is composed of irresponsible pet owners who need personal intervention to do the right thing. I am not an irresponsible pet owner, and I don’t need a law to refrain from producing unwanted pets. I spend a lot of time and energy training my dog to behave. I do not allow my dog to run loose, and I do what ever it takes to keep him away from dogs in-season. Just because I’m poor should I be punished by the loss of future board-joring dogs?

Finally, there is the same old promise by the enforcers – “we will only use this law in the most grievous situations.” Boy, if I could bring back a life for every time I heard the cops tell us that I could bring back a whole lot of the people killed by cops in less-than-grievous situations. Again, I wish to emphasize – THE COPS ARE LYING TO US!

They describe this law as a “tool.” They already have enough tools shoved up their “arsenal.” Corporate sponsors (Target stores are proud sponsors of the Eureka SWAT team), juristic complicity of elected officials (how long does it take for a DA to investigate a murder), Federal militarization, presidential moratorium on civil rights, and city mandates to violate both the actual Constitution and its implied spirit, are just the tip of the iceberg of tools the cops use against us.

Is it realistic to think that those who aren’t responsible pet owners now are going to be responsible pet owners because of a new law? No, it will mean that fewer will register their pets, fewer will retrieve them if lost, and hundreds will be deemed new criminals - which could include jail time. Other problems I foresee from this insane legislation are factory pet farms, forgeries of doggy diplomas, dog napping rings, and the dilemma of a poor person facing a burdensome fine or drowning a puppy.

I love my dog and he loves me. He’s 125 pounds, 4&1/2 years old, has 1&1/2 inch canine teeth, and can pull me around like a rag doll, but I have easily maintained his virginity. I always will promote responsible dog husbandry, but I can’t get behind this law. The proposed law is classist, unconstitutional, and wrong.

Humboldt County is shitting on its poor people in order to make a community of the rich, for the rich, on the backs of the poor. In its mere proposal of this ordinance, the Board of Supes have failed to balance the identified interest (the so-called “good of the society”) against our sacrifice of significant individual rights. If we allow this ordinance to pass on May 1, 2007, we will have again allowed the government impermissible intrusion into the lives of its citizens. Stop this travesty of justice before it starts, and seriously consider not reelecting any of the good ‘ol boys who keep pushing this class war in Humboldt County and its cities.

Remember: think local – act local!

love eternal
tad