Photo from Support the Guardian
Volunteers affiliated with Food Not Bombs, an organization dedicated to feeding Houston's unhoused population since 1994, are facing potential fines totaling $80,000 following a recent crackdown by the local police. The group is contesting 44 tickets issued by the Houston Police Department for providing food to homeless individuals outside the Houston Public Library.
The fines originate from a city ordinance passed in 2012, which requires groups to obtain permission from property owners, even on public property, before distributing food to more than five people. Although the ordinance remained dormant for years, it has recently been enforced, leading to legal challenges from Food Not Bombs.
Nick Cooper, a volunteer with the organization, expressed concern about the negative impact of the anti-food-sharing law on services for people without homes. He criticized the law and highlighted the strain it puts on volunteers, who must attend multiple court hearings, sometimes requiring them to take time off work.
Houston's anti-food-sharing law is one of several measures that have been enacted to criminalize homelessness in the city. These include restrictions on shelter structures, sleeping in certain areas, and other laws targeting homeless individuals.
Similar confrontations between homeless advocates and cities have occurred elsewhere, such as in Bullhead City, Arizona, where a lawsuit was filed to challenge an anti-food-sharing ordinance. Food Not Bombs has initiated a similar lawsuit against the City of Houston, hoping for a favorable ruling.
In response to the criticism, the Houston mayor's office stated that security concerns drove the changes, and alternative feeding locations were provided. However, Food Not Bombs was dissatisfied with the new site, as it was situated near a police station.
The Houston city attorney, Arturo Michel, asserted the city's intention to vigorously pursue violations of the anti-food-sharing ordinance due to health and safety concerns raised by homeless individuals around the library.
Shere Dore, a long-time volunteer with Food Not Bombs, voiced strong opposition to the citations and the mayor's stance. She emphasized the volunteers' constitutional right to serve the hungry on public property without government permission. She expressed concerns about the impact of citations during dangerous heatwaves, as the downtown library served as a cooling center for the unhoused population.
Food Not Bombs volunteers in Houston are challenging the enforcement of an anti-food-sharing ordinance, arguing for their right to provide food to people without homes without government permission. The situation has sparked a legal battle and raised concerns about the well-being of the unhoused population during extreme weather conditions.
Photo from Support the Guardian
休斯敦的志愿者因为给无家可归的人提供食物而面临数千美元的罚款
自1994年以来，“食物不是炸弹”的组织有关志愿者一直致力于给休斯敦的无家可归者提供食物。最近，当地警方对他们进行了严厉打击，导致他们可能面临总额达80,000美元的罚款。该组织正在就休斯敦警察局对他们在休斯敦公共图书馆外给无家可归者提供食物所开出的44张罚单提出争辩。
这些罚款源于2012年通过的一项城市法令，规定团体在公共场所提供食物给超过五人时，必须先获得产权所有者的许可。尽管该法令多年来一直未实施，但最近开始执行，引发了“食物不是炸弹”组织的法律挑战。
该法律是休斯敦制定的一系列将无家可归行为犯罪化的措施之一，包括对庇护所结构、在特定区域睡觉以及其他针对无家可归者的法律限制。
类似的冲突在其他地方也发生过，例如在亚利桑那州布尔黑德城，一名78岁的妇女提起诉讼，挑战了一项反对食物分享的法令。 “食物不是炸弹”组织在休斯敦市提起了类似的诉讼，希望能获得类似的裁决。
对于批评，休斯敦市长办公室表示改变是出于安全考虑，并提供了其他供应食物的地点。然而，“食物不是炸弹”组织对新地点不满意，因为它位于警察局附近。
休斯敦市法务官阿图罗·米歇尔声称，由于图书馆周围无家可归者引发的健康和安全问题，休斯敦市有意全力追究违反反对供应食物的法令的行为。
“食物不是炸弹”组织的资深志愿者谢尔·多尔对罚单和市长的立场表示强烈反对。她强调志愿者在公共场所为饥饿的人提供食物的宪法权利，并对在危险的热浪期间开出罚单表示担忧，因为市区图书馆是无家可归人群的散热中心。
“食物不是炸弹”组织的休斯敦志愿者正在就反对供应食物的法令展开法律挑战，主张他们在公共场所为无家可归者提供食物的权利不需要政府许可。这一局势引发了法律争议，并引发人们对极端天气条件下无家可归人群福祉的担忧。
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