HOMELESS PEOPLE CONFISCATE CITY HALL : Indybay

A MEDIA ADVISORY
From: The Coalition on Homelessness
For more information, contact John Viola, Emilio Aviles
(415) 346-3740

HOMELESS PEOPLE CONFISCATE CITY HALL

SAN FRANCISCO (Wednesday, November 28, 2001 San Francisco City Hall) -- Homeless people and their supporters angrily confiscated City Hall. This was in response to the City's refusal to pass legislation that would have prevented the mass confiscation of homeless people's property by the City.

On October 22, 2001, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors refused to pass an ordinance that would require notification before confiscating homeless people's property. Since then, arbitrary confiscation of homeless people's property has continued unabated and homeless people are facing another winter under the constant threat that the city will take their necessities without any warning.

Over one hundred protesters, primarily homeless people, gathered at the steps of city hall to have a mock theater illustrating the confiscation of homeless people's property by city sponsored dump trucks. About a half an hour after the action started, three individuals took over the mayor’s office, and hung a banner off from the second floor balcony facing the crowd below. The banner read "You took our home, we’ll take the dome", and they proceeded to give a quick speech. They were arrested by the SF Sheriff’s Department and led out quickly in handcuffs. They were detained and later transported to County Jail Nine, to be booked.

The crowd then entered City Hall and walked up the steps chanting and yelled. They group visited each office of the Supervisors and gave flowers and cheers to the four Supervisors who supported the legislation (Sup. Ammianno, Gonzalez, Sandoval and Daly). They hung signs stamped "confiscated" on the doors of each Supervisor who opposed the legislation. They also booed each dissenter who opposed homeless people's property rights.

"A policy that allows the city to seize and destroy the property of homeless people not only violates their constitutional rights but punishes people simply for being poor", said John Viola, Staff attorney of the Coalition on Homelessness. "We oppose the City's policy of sweeping homeless people and their property out of sight".

Homeless people carry with them their last carefully selected items that are most important to them. When they lose their property, they often lose articles that are of sentimental value whether from lost relatives, photos or the family bible. But it goes beyond sentiment to actual life sustaining material. People often have their blankets taken before sundown, and life sustaining medications are also taken.

"City Hall's attitude toward homeless people and their property continues to be one of contempt," says Emilio Aviles, "in refusing to pass legislation which would respect homeless people's property rights."
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HOMELESS PEOPLE CONFISCATE CITY HALL

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