PEACE CAMP 2010--a protest camp from July 4th 2010 to October 2nd 2010 where homeless people slept in the City of Santa Cruz on the courthouse steps or at City Hall to protest the Sleeping and Blanket Bans. Currently Peace Camp 2010 is in the judicial phase.
Our goal is education, survival and change regarding the City's anti-homeless Sleeping Ban.
We demand City Council repeal or suspend this law and grant an amnesty for all sleeping and camping tickets issued.
Costing $100 a night, noisy, and spewing exhaust fumes, the SCPD placed these bright klieg lights up every night for weeks in order to disperse the demonstration against the Sleeping Ban claiming they were necessary for "safety reasons." -- Photo by Becky Johnson Aug 18, 2010
by Becky Johnson Sept 12, 2010
Santa Cruz, Ca.-- In what clearly is a victory for Peace Camp 2010, without any notice or press, Mayor Mike Rotkin has placed an item on the afternoon agenda this coming Tuesday, Sept. 14th which will change language in the Sleeping Ban for the first time in eight years. And during an election cycle too!
A homeless man sleeps legally at City Hall during the daytime. Sleeping is illegal in the City of Santa Cruz at night despite a thrice-declared shelter emergency. Photo by Becky Johnson
Plucky Peace Camp 2010 participants, Ed Frey, Collette Donally, "Scum", Todd Hill, Vamp, Robert "Blindbear" Facer, Sara, Jackie, Leigh no-last-name, and the irrepresible, Gary Johnson have been unshaken in their determination to violate the Sleeping Ban (MC 6.36.010 section a) each and every night literally on the Mayor's front lawn.
The City has responded with Sleeping ban citations, blanket ban citations, statewide "anti-lodging" misdemeanor law citations, new "trespass" laws at both City Hall, the Central Library, Klieg Lights, private security guards and smear campaigns in the press. Yet the motley crew persist. Now an item on the agenda.
Is there a crack in the shell?
"No trespassing" on public property signs were posted without notice, public hearings, or discussion at City Hall making City Hall off-limits to the public for the first time in over 150 years of existence. The first people cited under the new "trespass" law were members of Peace Camp 2010. Photo by Becky Johnson August 21, 2010
In Santa Cruz, California a two-month long protest continues in front of City Hall.
Since July 4, a group of homeless people and their advocates have been holding “peace camp 2010” to protest a four-decades-old law prohibiting people from sleeping in public places and vehicles overnight. Groups say law enforcement is targeting the homeless and ticketing them for sleeping outside, even though they have no place else to go. FSRN's Judith Scherr has the story.
found online at: http://www.kionrightnow.com/global/story.asp?s=12945748
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The homeless camp in Santa Cruz is still going on, despite arrests over the weekend. Protesters aren't letting up without a fight and the Sheriff's Department is cracking down.
Sheriff deputies arrested people for violating a state code, California Penal Code section 647e, that makes it illegal to lodge on private or public property without permission from the owner.
Christine Nibheolain was one of the two arrested last night.
"I've never been arrested before," says Nibheolain, "I've never been in trouble before. I figure if I'm going to get arrested, it might as well be for something I believe in."
Nibheolain spent eight hours in jail. The Ireland native joined the homeless camp four days ago, since she says, the shelters are full.
"I'd rather be here illegal and under the lights and know that I'm safe," says Nibheolain.
Like the rest of the homeless camp, she's out there to protest the city's camping ban. It makes it against the law to sleep on public or private property from 11 p.m. to 8-30 a.m.
"I was pretty sure when I came to America that sleeping under the stars at night," says Nibheolain. " wasn't going to be a huge problem and I wouldn't be breaking a law for doing it."
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department say, they started making arrests after getting dozens of complaints from county staff and visitors.
"Complaining about human feces, the trash, public inebriation, loose dogs, foul language, we've had reports of people finding needles," says Lt. Gretchen Hurley.
And they don't plan to stop anytime soon.
"If there's continued violation, there will be continued enforcement," says Hurley.
Camp Organizer Becky Johnson says more arrests could potentially put a stop their protest.
"It's possible that we might decide to end this particular effort and move onto another strategy, and continue our pressure tactics on the city of Santa Cruz," says Johnson.
But, Nibheolain doesn't plan to quit. Despite the arrest, she plans to be out there again.
"It's more likely I'll be here, but I won't be sleeping," says Nibheolain. "But I'll be here for a couple hours."
Central Coast News spoke with Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkin who says, he was surprised the Sheriff's office took so long to arrest people, and he's glad that they have finally taken action to remove what he says is a nuisance to the community.
Collette Connally walks through Peace Camp 2010 the morning after the Saturday night crackdown by Santa Cruz County Sheriffs. photo by Bill Lovejoy Aug 8 2010.
found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15709169
SANTA CRUZ -- Deputies rousted the homeless protest camp at the county courthouse just after midnight Saturday, arresting five people and handing out 17 other misdemeanor citations, Sheriff Phil Wowak said.
Up to 60 people have been camping out in front of the county government building since July Fourth protesting the city's camping ban, which prohibits sleeping on public or private property from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Saturday's visit marked the third time deputies have come to the camp late at night to document the names and the number of people there, taking photos and video.
"We have always respected the demonstration and the right of free speech by the persons demonstrating," Wowak said. "We will continue to allow for the appropriate, legal use of the property for demonstration but that right does not extend to lodging on the property or any other violation of the law."
Around 12:15 a.m., deputies woke up the nearly 40 people sleeping outside the courthouse to inform them they were in violation of the state's anti-lodging law, California Penal Code section 647 section E, Wowak said. The law states it is illegal for anyone to lodge in any building, structure, vehicle or place, whether public or private, without the permission of the owner.
About half the people at the demonstration left when deputies arrived, demonstrators said, while the others were cited. Those who refused to sign the citation or leave were arrested, Wowak said, while one of the people arrested had an outstanding warrant for petty theft.
The city ordinance against camping does apply to the property but it is enforceable by city police only, Wowak said. The state law deputies enforced can be used by any peace officer and has been used by other jurisdictions for similar incidents.
"They went very methodically from person to person waking everyone up, photographing them and asking for their names and IDs," said Becky Johnson, a camp organizer. "I don't know who invoked this section of the penal system. We're looking at 20-25 cases of 647e potentially in the Santa Cruz County court system."
According to Johnson, deputies first came to the so-called "Peace Camp" to hand out a flier that stated: "You are lodging here without permission of the owner or the person entitled to control this property therefore you are not entitled to be here."
The flier said nothing about violating the city's camping ban, Johnson said. Citing the state's lodging code is a tactic not previously deployed by law enforcement.
"I have not heard of anyone being cited for that in this area for several years," Johnson said.
About an hour later, deputies returned and cited those still there, alerting them that if they did not leave, they would be arrested. Those who did not leave were arrested a short time later. Wowak said there were five arrests, one for refusing to sign the citation, others for refusing to leave and another for an outstanding warrant for petty theft.
Those cited and arrested were charged with a misdemeanor violation and are subject to prosecution in Superior Court, Wowak said.
"Our goal was to avoid taxing the judicial system, but I think at this point the crowd wants this type of process to occur, unfortunately," Wowak said.
About a dozen demonstrators remained on the courthouse steps Saturday and planned to stay and sleep and "fully expect the sheriff to come back and fully expect to be arrested," Johnson said.
"They can't keep it invisible," said "Peace Camp" spokesman Chris Doyon, 45, regarding the night raids. "This is a human rights issue that goes way beyond any personal considerations. We have the basic right to live, sleep, eat and exist. This is an unacceptable social policy. Santa Cruz is supposed to be better than that, better than the U.S. norms."
Doyon was the person arrested for the outstanding petty theft warrant, jail records showed. Amber Gulzow, 19, Romero Garcia Jr., 19, and Gary Allen Johnson, 46, were arrested for refusing to leave, and Timothy Smith, 39, was arrested for refusing to sign the citation, sheriff's Lt. Fred Plageman said.
Johnson said she was surprised that law enforcement was using the state penal code to break up the camp because the misdemeanor charges will require public defenders be assigned to the indigent homeless people who were cited and potentially result in jury trials.
Wowak said deputies will continue to police the property and make arrests when people refuse to comply with the law as long as they are able and as long as necessary.
"I'm glad sheriffs finally decided to prosecute these people," Mayor Mike Rotkin said. "Their own demonstration had problems with fistfights and someone brandishing a metal pipe. It was messy, between the trash and urinating. They presented their own evidence why the sheriffs should enforce the camping ordinance.
"Out of about 1,000 to 1,200 homeless people, the city cites one person a night on average. People are finding shelter. It's the people looking for trouble that are going to get it."
Vice Mayor Ryan Coonerty said the community is extraordinarily generous in terms of providing services to those in need, but the degradation of the demonstration is a fast way to reduce public support for those services.
"Santa Cruz offers a huge amount of resources for those in need but they have to want to turn their lives around," Coonerty said. "I hope these protesters would access some of those services to get the employment and housing they need and then turn around and help others who have fallen between the cracks.
Yesterday a delegation of us (Ed Frey, Linda Lemaster, Orbit, and me) visited the Homeless Service Center to get a simple signed statement that they had no shelter for anyone walking in later that night (August 5-6). Just a piece of paper with a sentence or two.
Daniel is the fellow responsible for giving out the fill-in form given to folks who have already been rousted, interrogated, searched, ID-checked, and ticketed. He provides a form that fills in their name, citation number, date, etc. clarifying that the "shelter was full on this date, so dismiss the ticket",
Daniel readily agreed that there was no walk-in shelter available that night. He further advised us that there hadn't been any since the Armory closed in April. And there wouldn't be until it opened again (if it did) in November.
But he refused put what we all knew was true in writing. Instead he suggested we talk to Nancy, the shelter person. Nor would he give a piece of paper to Orbit--who was ill--documenting that Orbit had tried to get shelter and been told there was none--even for that one night. That paper would have been useful to show the SCPD or deputies if they attempted to wake him, interrogate him, ticket him, or arrest him. .
Ed Frey called Nancy later that day. Up to know, as far as I know, his call hasn't been returned.
In order to encourage some candor and homeless service from the Homeless Services Center, I wrote the following e-mail to City Councilmember, former Mayor, and Chair of the Task Force to Examine the Camping Ordinance Katherine Beiers (pronounced "buyers"). Katherine is also a long-time member of the HSC Board of Directors. I spoke with Beiers directly at her home a few minutes ago and asked that she answer the e-mail below before she left town on Tuesday.
Katherine:
While I'm hoping you'll be able to respond to the prior two e-mails I sent you today, please indulge me and forward a brief response, to the shelter situation:
Is it true that no walk-in shelter exists, has existed, or will exist at the Homeless Services Center (such as the Paul Lee loft) for the average homeless person trying to find a legal place to sleep for the night between April 15 (when the Armory closed) and November 15 (when the Armory usually opens)?
Specifically, will there be any walk-in shelter in August available through the Homeless Services Center for either the homeless community generally or PeaceCamp2010 residents specifically (assuming they meet the usual requirements)?
Is there any problem in getting the HSC to write a letter attesting to what everyone already seems to know--that there is no available shelter on a walk-in basis (i.e. only through waiting lists, and for a very small number of people)?
Please forward me your best understanding. If you find out differently (or get more accurate confirmation) from, say Nancy, Daniel, Monica, and/or any of the other service providers, will you let s know?
Thanks for the help. Speed may be important if authorities and media are to be accurately advised of the real situation.
Robert Norse
Beiers can be e-mailed at
kbeiers@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us
Posted: Aug 06, 2010 11:58 AM PDT Updated: Aug 06, 2010 11:58 AM PDT
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- City officials are raising serious health and safety concerns over the homeless protest that continues to drag on at the county courthouse.
"Peace Camp 2010" protests the city's sleeping and camping ordinances by taking the issue right to its front steps. Now, they have been sleeping there for more than a month.
Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkin said the protesters are only hurting their cause, saying these grave concerns prove the city's ordinances are necessary.
Friday, a county worker who tends to the courthouse grounds said he picks up about 100 pounds of garbage a day on site, up dramatically from just 20 pounds a week.
He also told Central Coast News he regularly finds human excrement on the sidewalk.
Protest organizers said they didn't have any knowledge of that, instead pointing to a port-a-potty and the courthouse bathrooms.
"We've had 60 some odd people here last night and we've had hundreds upon hundreds of people here for 34 days," said Christoper Doyon with Peace Camp 2010. "You found one turd on the grass, so, I don't think that's doing so bad."
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies visited the site twice this week. Sheriff's officials said they are conducting a preliminary investigation, informing protesters they are breaking the law.
No word yet on further enforcement.
Submitted by Matt de Nesnera, Central Coast News Reported
Article can be found online at: http://www.kionrightnow.com/global/story.asp?s=12939254
As dawn rises, a Peace Camp protester openly violates the Sleeping and Blanket Bans on the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse. Photo by Becky Johnson
To : Santa Cruz City Mayor Mike Rotkin and Vice-Mayor Ryan Coonerty re: Sleep-in at courthouse
July 31, 2010
Dear Mayor and Vice-Mayor,
Both of you have made statements to the press about our protest against the Sleeping Ban (MC 6.36.010 section a) which both mischaracterize our protest as being against the “camping ban” and which claim that our protest has grown so large as to be “unmanageable”.
You've also claimed that the Sleeping Ban has been in place for “forty years” which the mainstream press has picked up and echoed. Apparently none of you can do math. The Sleeping Ban has been in place for 32 years, NOT forty years!! This only proves that the mainstream media are not doing any fact-checking and only repeating ad nauseum what you and the SCPD tell them.
We had our largest influx of people on the days in which YOUR OWN CREWS from Public Works were out on the levee displacing dozens of poor and homeless people, routinely destroying their personal possessions, and DRIVING them to our doorstep. We gladly helped them out to a restful night's sleep which you have been depriving poor and homeless people of nightly in a cruel and pointless practice. It's also illegal as local attorney, Ed Frey has pointed out.
We take a nightly census and are averaging about 30 people a night. We peaked at 55 (the night your crews were driving people out) and our numbers have dropped to 45. Tomorrow, with social security checks issued on the first, we expect our numbers to drop dramatically.
So much for your “magnet” theory.
Mayor Rotkin, Vice-Mayor Coonerty, we say, please - let us talk. Our representatives are prepared to meet with you at any time, in any venue . It is time to have a real-time discussion free of sound bites and political sloganeering. The people of Peace Camp are in desperate need on so many levels, but having law enforcement hound and harass them for SLEEPING and for KEEPING WARM WITH A BLANKET is too much. We are standing our ground on this issue and now it is time for the two of you to deal with us and with it.
Please all ED FREY at 479-8911 to arrange a meeting.
Until then, we at Peace Camp 2010 will remain stalwart in our determination. Our cause is just, and the very lives of the most vulnerable are at stake. . We are committed to our goal and will doggedly pressure you throughout the summer and fall until you can find your way to a humane solution.
Sincerely, Chris Doyon, co-founder Peace Camp 2010
FOUND ONLINE AT: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=7583503
SANTA CRUZ, CA (KGO) -- In Santa Cruz, there is a jurisdictional dispute over an ordinance that bans sleeping in public, but many are wondering who is enforcing it, since the homeless have been camping out for weeks.
There are a lot of homeless people camped out in front of the county's courthouse steps. They are supposed to first get a warning, then a citation, but when ABC7's cameras were there, they didn't see anyone out enforcing the ban Thursday night.
"We started July 4th and will continue to do it until we get justice," said protest organizer Ed Frey.
The homeless are protesting Santa Cruz's camping ban, which stops anyone from sleeping outside overnight. However, the protest is now moving into week four and the homeless present outside the courthouse 24/7.
"We get yelled at. When we come in, they make remarks to us. We had a guy wielding a machete the other day," said court supervisor Linda Sepulveda.
County workers have had enough of the close quarters, where they say, drug deals are also going down regularly.
"We're becoming a magnet for alcoholics, the criminal element; this is not our doing and not our fault," said Christopher Doyon who is homeless.
Those who work here don't care, they just want it to stop and they're letting the homeless know it.
Courthouse employee Pat Hammermaster said to a homeless man, "We think it's a slap in the face, this is where we have justice and we have to watch this happening out front where nobody does anything about it. I come to work every morning and I'm sick of it."
County workers have filed complaints with both the police and Sheriff's department. They say they haven't gotten much of a response.
"It's kind of a jurisdictional battle right now, between the Sheriff's department and the police department as to who is going to enforce the ordinance," said Hammermaster.
The county admits, there was some confusion over enforcement. The ordinance is a Santa Cruz city law, but the courthouse is on county property.
"You have to all talk it through and look at ordinances and what does the city ordinance say about who is authorized to do it," said Santa Cruz County spokesperson Dinah Phillips.
The county has now decided it will start enforcing the ban. Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkins is calling the move long overdue.
"Now it's gotten completely out of hand and it's mushroomed in size and a lot of illegal behavior is going on," said Rotkins.
Camp organizers say that's not true. They vow to fight any citations or arrests that come their way.
"If you don't have a house, you still have to sleep, so why not somewhere& well, this is a good place?" said Frey.
The outside of the courthouse really transformed late Thursday night. There's a Porta Potty, a wash area, and a lot of sleeping bags, so people say they will continue to camp out until the ordinance changes.
found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15628303
SANTA CRUZ -- The legal loophole that has allowed dozens of protesters to camp in front of the county courthouse for more than three weeks closed Wednesday when city and county officials determined the city's camping ban applied to the county property because it falls within city limits.
However, it remained unclear how the ordinance would be enforced.
"I think what they're going to do is notify all the folks and encourage them to move along," said county spokeswoman Dinah Phillips, who issued a statement Wednesday saying the city's no-camping ordinance would be enforced.
But sheriff's deputies were still formulating a response and city police said it's not their call.
"Why would we go? It's the county's property," Deputy Santa Cruz Police Chief Rick Martinez said. "We're not going to take action on our own on their property."
Demonstrators called the announcement a "scare tactic."
"It's not going to work," camp spokesman Christopher Doyon said. "We're not going. We're not afraid."
The demonstration, which protesters call Peace Camp 2010 and which is led by homeless advocates Robert Norse, Ed Frey and Becky Johnson, kicked off July Fourth and has continued unabated on the county-owned swath of land in front of the courthouse.
Sheriff's deputies enforce laws on county property, and there is no county ordinance that prohibits camping on that lawn. City law bans sleeping in public places from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.,
but the initial thought was that Santa Cruz ordinances didn't apply to the county's territory. So the camp has grown from an overnight sleep-in to a 24-hour hangout while government officials, law enforcement officers and legal experts sort out what rules apply to the property.
Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkin said that city laws apply to county property that falls within Santa Cruz city limits, and there has been a long-standing agreement that sheriff's deputies would provide law enforcement outside the courthouse and county building.
After several meetings with county and city officials, "all parties now agree" that county authorities can enforce city codes on their property, Rotkin said. In fact, he said sheriff's deputies always have had the right, as does the California Highway Patrol or any other police agency, to enforce city laws.
Rotkin was clear, however, that the push to enforce the camping ban now -- 24 days after the camp was established -- didn't come from the city.
"Nobody from the city is putting pressure on anybody about this," Rotkin said. "We have enough on our plate."
The atmosphere at the camp-in was calm Wednesday afternoon. Someone brought the protesters burritos, doughnuts and coffee, and the "traditional Santa Cruz Wednesday drum circle" was under way, according to tweets from the so-called Peace Camp 2010.
Word that they might be ousted from their camp didn't surprise demonstrators.
"There were several of us who figured that, that the laws are applicable here and they can cite us," said Doyon, 45, who is homeless. "We were prepared for that."
But, he said, sheriff's deputies have told him they have no intention of breaking up the camp, a place that Doyon said has given some homeless people the first safe night's sleep they've had in months.
On Tuesday, sleep-in participants marched to City Hall to demand the City Council revoke the city's no-camping law. The arguments were presented during oral communications, which allows comments on any topic, and the council took no action.
"I saw the fear of God in Mike Rotkin and Ryan Coonerty," Doyon said. "We definitely made our presence known. I think we're getting a lot of traction on this, and we're going to keep up the pressure."
Doyon said demonstrators will not leave voluntarily.
But court employees think it's time for the demonstration to go.
Labor unions are considering filing complaints about employees' work environments because of the camp-in. Employees working late or on weekends have reported more people inside the county building and courthouse who don't have authorization to be there.
Tim Newman, spokesman for the local court branch, said the protest has gotten more troublesome and unpleasant. While it hasn't blocked access to the courthouse or the adjacent county building, Newman said the demonstration seems to be beyond the control of the peaceful activists who launched it.
"It's seeming to attract a different element," he said. "We've had fights out there between campers."
Someone urinated on a trash can and one camper was arrested for public intoxication. The demonstration also accumulates a lot of trash, there's been some drug use and, on Tuesday, someone brandished a lead pipe, Newman said.
"People have the right to represent their views," Newman said, "but at some point I think some order needs to be restored out there."
Sheriff's deputies and city police are working on a plan to address the problems created by the camp, according to a prepared statement by sheriff's Lt. Craig Wilson. He said the area isn't designed for camping and lacks appropriate facilities, which creates health and safety concerns. Also, people are complaining about the demonstrators.
"We understand their rights," Sgt. Dan Campos of the Sheriff's Office said. "We also have some responsibility to the community."
City attorney John Barisone has agreed to help prosecute campers, should they be ticketed and taken to court, said Martinez with the Santa Cruz Police Department.
However, there is no time line to take action, according to the Sheriff's Office.
"Hopefully we can get this thing resolved sooner or later," Martinez said. "It's really going to come down to us working together."
NOTE TO READER: This article makes a number of factually incorrect statements. First, we are not demanding the right to sleep "wherever, whenever." And our protest is 8PM to 8AM, not 24/7. The Sleeping Ban applies to all lands out of doors, both public and private property within the city limits. We have asked that in a shelter emergency (thrice declared by the City and never rescinded) homeless people be allowed to sleep SOMEWHERE. Mayor Rotkin claims the City pays for homeless services but neglects to reveal there is walk-in, emergency shelter for 6% of our houseless population 8 months of the year. Be sure to log onto the KSBW site and view the video. ---Becky Johnson, Editor
Protesters Demand Right To Sleep Wherever, Whenever
POSTED: 12:17 am PDT July 28, 2010 UPDATED: 8:48 am PDT July 28, 2010
found online at: http://www.ksbw.com/news/24418671/detail.html
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- A group of homeless people in Santa Cruz marched to Tuesday's City Council meeting and demanded the right to be able to sleep wherever, and whenever, they want.
Demonstrators have been camping outside the Santa Cruz County Courthouse protesting the city's no-camping law for about a month. The law bans anyone from sleeping outside between 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. Protesters said they just want to be able to sleep without getting ticketed by police.
Sam Muller, who is 28 years old and homeless, said economic stress has caused him to lose jobs and not be able to work. Muller is one of the youngest in the group Peace Camp 2010 -- a group of homeless protesters that has set up a 24-7 demonstration outside the Santa Cruz County Courthouse. The group is asking council members to revoke the city law.
"In the daytime, if you're seen with a blanket over you or sitting too long in one place, you could still get ticketed," Muller said. Christopher Doyon, who is also homeless, said a fourth ticket makes someone eligible for up to a year in prison. Homeless advocates said they wanted to voice their frustration at the city council meeting.
"The (law) itself is hideously unconstitutional and ludicrous," Doyon said. But workers at the courthouse where people have been camping out for over three weeks said the protest should be limited to after work hours when the sleep-ban is actually in effect.
"It's scary to me, people yelling at us sometimes when we're coming in," said court supervisor Linda Sepulveda. "(People say) off the wall things. We've seen drug deals happen out here." The camp has also expanded to the courthouse steps and outside lawns. Court workers also said it's becoming less of a peace camp, with recent tension nearly erupting into several fights. Santa Cruz County courthouse spokesman Tim Newman said there are reports that someone was wielding a pipe that they had with their personal belongings.
"We (are) trying to reign that in (and) keep it under control," Muller said. Meanwhile, Mayor Mike Rotkin said the sleeping ban protects the community.
"I think it's strongly supported by our citizens of our community. We put out a lot of services for homeless," Rotkin said. Muller, however, said there are long waiting lists to access those services, and said he is just looking for compassion during these hard economic times.
"Everybody is just one letter away from being in the same position we are," he said. Rotkin said he understands the tough situation the homeless are in, but adds most cities have a similar ban in place. Rotkin said there is a city ordinance that could be enacted to kick protesters off of the property outside the courthouse, but that the sheriff's office would be in charge, not city police.
Copyright 2010 by KSBW.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Santa Cruz, Ca. -- In what has become an amazement even to themselves, Peace Camp 2010 is still happening, having completed its twenty-third night on Monday night. And not a single citation has yet to be issued. "We're trying to keep a handle on things here," offers one of the Camp's organizers, "Curbhugger" Chris Doyon, "but it's like herding cats." Doyon and others each take a four hour shift to guard the porto-pottie left each night by local attorney, Ed Frey.
Mayor Mike Rotkin, interviewed by KSBW Television, told interviewer, Phil Gomez "I must say that what's happening at the County Bldg. certainly proves my point that I've been making for decades, now. If you give people any ability to camp out of doors, it will expand to a level where you won't be able to handle it."
But is that the case? On July 4th, 3 activists slept out with six homeless people making the number sleeping there the first night as nine. Then following night, thirteen slept out. On July 6th, 20 slept out. On July 7th, 30 slept out. On July 8th 27, slept out. But on July 9th, only 20. On July 10th, 21 slept out. July 11th, 24 slept out. July 12th, 22 slept out. July 13th, 29 slept out. July 14, 27 and one kitten slept out. July 15th, 18 humans and 1 kitten and one dog. On July 16th, 28 slept out. On July 17th, 28 people, 1 kitten and 1 dog. July 18th, 27 people, 1 kitten and 1 dog. July 19th, 31 people, 1 kitten and 2 dogs. July 20th 26 people, 2 dogs, and 1 kitten. July 21st, 33 people, 1 dog and 1 kitten. July 22nd, 30 people and 1 dog. But on July 23rd, the number jumped to 45 people, 1 dog and 1 kitten. July 24th 47 people. July 25th, there were 55 people, 1 dog, and 1 kitten. On the night of July 26th, 52 people, 4 dogs, and 1 kitten. So far Peace Camp 2010 has provided a total of 662 shelter/sleeping spaces by utilizing existing public facilities and augmenting this with volunteer labor and a donated porto-pottie providing a clean, well-lit area for legally sleeping for an average of 29 people per night.
The census for Peace Camp 2010, taken every night, does show that the numbers are increasing, but not steadily. It appears that there is a core group of about 30 people who regularly sleep there with a fluctuating population of both travelers and young people. The biggest jump in numbers was triggered by police sweeps along the river levee which drove a number of displaced people to the courthouse steps from another part of the City.
Max, Danny, and Brian arrived as refugees from one of those sweeps. "They told us that anything we left behind would be destroyed," they told HUFF members. "We're glad we're here. Last night I had the best night of sleep I've had in a long, long time," Danny said.
But along with the street kids, several chronic alcoholics have also arrived with their debris, noise, and unsteady gaits. While Peace Camp 2010 asks that participants refrain from using alcohol or hard drugs while on site, there is no way to prevent those who come from using. Even at 3AM, a rowdy group of drinkers, new to the site that night, talked and bellowed long into the night disturbing the sleep of dozens who slept there.
Internal frictions have also arisen. A group of homeless hoarders has alienated itself from the rest of Peace Camp and has set up on the little traffic island in front of the courthouse. Despite no longer being part of Peace Camp, they still utilize the porto-pottie. A pregnant woman who had found housing briefly, was back again last night. She looks as though she is very close to delivering. Another woman went by ambulance to the hospital and came back in a cab the same day. "They just don't have any better place to put me," she said.
Blankets remain in short supply with a few who come in late at night with nothing to keep them warm. HUFF members help out as much as they can, but there never seems to be enough.
Are homeless people from Maine to Florida, to Los Angeles, to Seattle arriving daily to sleep on the courthouse steps?? In a word: no. But those who've been moved along from various parts of town are finding their way to the steps, and finding a warm welcome: something they forgot exists for them.
On Sunday morning, the parking lot quickly filled with cars as thousands participated in the annual Wharf to Wharf race. Suddenly, a long line formed at Ed's Porto-pottie, as the runners lined up to empty their bladders prior to the race.
"I'd have liked to have accomodated them" Chris told HUFF, "but the porto-pottie was already badly in need of service and I had to lock them out explaining that it was there for the folks who were sleeping out with us. There were some tense moments." Chris ended up calling Ed Frey who drove down and removed the porto-pottie ending the standoff.
"Those people got a little taste of what it's like for us all the time, trying to find a place where we can use the toilet. This time the shoe was on the other foot."
Ed Frey talked with HUFF members and campers and determined that with the increased use, the solution is simply to have it serviced more often.
Mayor Rotkin claims this increase was "inevitable" and predicted by him "for decades" but in the end, it appears that Peace Camp 2010 is serving the same number of people Rotkin had no problem leaving out in the cold for decades and the major influx coming from the City driving folks from other areas of the City. I could "predict" what I am doing too.
On Sunday, July 12th, Mayor Mike Rotkin debated local attorney, and Peace Camp 2010 founder, Ed Frey on a radio program hosted by Robert Norse. KSBW filmed the debate and put together a short piece marking the highlights.
KSBW coverage can be found here: http://www.ksbw.com/video/24218481/index.html
The entire 1-hour debate can be heard here: http://www.radiolib
found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15454267
SANTA CRUZ -- Homeless demonstrators who for three days have holed up overnight on the courthouse lawn to protest a city ordinance against camping actually may not to be in violation of a camping ban at all.
Officials for the county have decided not to take action against the dozen or so demonstrators who have camped from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. every night since Sunday. County code does not list the courthouse property among locations designated as no-camping zones, such as Paradise Park and Carbonera Creek.
Led by homeless rights advocates Robert Norse and Ed Frey, the protesters have vowed to stay every night until the city overturns its ban. But it seems the protesters are goading the wrong government.
Officials with the city, county and courts are in agreement that the courthouse building is owned by the state, but the lawn and surrounding property is owned by the county. County property falls within the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's Office even though it is inside the city limits, and therefore city police say they will write citations only if the protest moves onto city property.
"They're in the wrong place to test that," Mayor Mike Rotkin said of the city's camping ban.
Frey said the group chose the courthouse as a protest site to make a point that the court system will be the ultimate arbiter of whether the city's ban -- which is being tested by several current cases -- is legal. Frey said he knew of no county law against camping on the courthouse lawn, but nonetheless was surprised to learn the city had no jurisdiction to respond.
"I can declare victory then because those are vast grounds, those courthouse grounds," he said. "That means homeless people now have a solution to their decades-long problem."
Not so fast, says Dinah Phillips, the county's spokeswoman. Phillips said county officials may eventually determine the group has violated other rules, such as health and safety codes.
"At this point, we're still evaluating the situation," she said. "They haven't caused problems, but we're keeping an eye on it."
Phillips said the county has not received any complaints about the demonstration or documented any damage.
Sgt. Dan Campos, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said his agency has no plans to cite the demonstrators on advice from the county counsel.
"They're not damaging public property," he said of protesters. "It's just an allocation of resources in a direction we choose not to go."
County Counsel Dana McRae is on vacation this week and unavailable for comment.
Anger over the "sleeping ban," as opponents have dubbed it, boiled over last week after police said a man told investigators he set a fire at the Santa Cruz city attorney's office because he was upset about the law. Anarchist signs and a rant about the camping ban were spray-painted on the building a week before the fire, adding to concern still lingering after a May 1 anarchist-themed riot damaged 18 businesses downtown.
The city is pursuing a permanent injunction against two homeless musicians who have repeatedly violated the camping ban, a case that resumes in August.
The City Council also has passed recent provisions that allow the city attorney to file ignored municipal code citations as misdemeanors in the hopes that the prospect of criminal charges will deter frequent violators of the camping ban and other ordinances.
Frey represents Robert Facer, a man found guilty in November 2009 of violating the city's camping ban. Facer has asked a three-judge panel to review an appeal of the infraction, a case that was scheduled to be heard in June but has been postponed until September.
"It's our intention to stay indefinitely, until the city police stop busting innocent sleepers," said Frey, who argues the city needs more homeless shelters.
In a fax sent to City Hall late Tuesday, Frey challenged Vice Mayor Ryan Coonerty to a debate about the camping ban. Coonerty, who likely will be named mayor next year, said there is no support for rolling it back, saying, "I'm not going to debate a group of people who are more interested in publicity than finding a real solution."
Santa Cruz, Ca. -- They began arriving as the sun faded, some on bikes. Some carrying bedrolls. Most had backpacks. Prime sleeping areas next to the front doors promised a dry night with the protecting eaves, and thus, those spots were taken quickly. "What do you think the chances are that the cops will bust us tonight?" one man asked nervously, as he looked around for security cameras. "Zero," said Leigh, without any hesitation. "Unless the Deputies need to conduct a mutual aid service's call, there's no chance that they're going to cite us tonight."
Organizer, ED FREY, who had chosen the location, discovered very quickly that with the courthouse smack dab in the middle of the City of Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz police had no authority to enforce their own law. And the Santa Cruz County Deputies have no corresponding laws criminalizing sleeping, covering with blankets, or even camping in that particular location---all of which would be illegal in any other part of the City.
HUFF has demanded the City suspend ticketing under the Sleeping and Blanket Bans or, barring that, set up a clean, safe, well-lighted place with plumbing facilities where it is legal to sleep in the City. For the moment at least, they have found the latter. While the Council has dug in to defend the Sleeping Ban, there is no doubt that Peace Camp 2010 has already accomplished one of its goals.
" So I guess we won, " mused FREY. Tuesday night, 21 souls slept openly and safely together. Tonight there were thirty. Five twenty-somethings wandered in past midnight. Two who arrived begged for a blanket, fearing having to spend the night without one. With cops seizing possessions regularly as "trash" there are never enough blankets to go around.
In news media reports, Vice -Mayor RYAN COONERTY has issued statements about how the City supports the bans which are needed "for safety reasons." Mayor MIKE ROTKIN defends the bans by claiming that the impressive sounding amount of money the council has spent on homeless services somehow justifies, as a matter of policy, waking up homeless people in the wee hours of the morning, detaining them, running warrant checks on them, and even sometimes, as Lt Steve Clark once did to ANTHONY PATANJO, seize the only blanket they have at 3 AM as "evidence" of sleeping, and then leave them shivering in the cold with a $97 ticket. If City Attorney JOHN BARISONE has his way, next year their will be jury trials for sleeping and keeping warm with a blanket and sentences of up to one year in jail for convictions.
"I've been atop many a bridge lately, " one man confided to me in low tones, "considering suicide. But this gives me hope." Supporter and Endorser, SARAH RINGLER came by with a large platter of Japanese fish pancakes and a bottle of soy sauce to go with. One by one each person took a single pancake and joyfully consumed the still warm food. None took seconds. There would not be enough for firsts for everyone as it was.
ED FREY is appealing the twin convictions for sleeping near the beach by ROBERT"BLINDBEAR" FACER, but the hearing has inexplicably been postponed until late September. "Homeless people can't wait until September to sleep, " declared ED who recently relocated to a residence inside the City in order to establish residency. A new race for City Council begins in early August.
At 11: 52PM the sprinklers switched on and, in seconds, two sleeping bodies quickly became soaked. Others rushed to pull their belongings out of the sudden downpour, but despite their quick reaction, both men shivered and groaned with everything they owned and the clothes they were wearing suddenly soaked.
As each new person arrives, there is cheer, relief, and for some, a look of redemption on their faces as they realize that they will be allowed to bed down, and sleep. The porto-pottie shines like a beacon of humanity, and those exiting it have a look of immense relief. Nervous neighbors grumble about "mountains of trash" and "poop and pee everywhere" but there really is none now. And when the Sheriff's deputies drive by and flash their lights, one gets this distinct feeling that they are there to PROTECT the sleepers from harm. Is this a change we can believe in?
DONATIONS NEEDED: flashlight, blankets, food of any kind, water bottles.
ED FREY can be contacted at his office in Soquel, Ca. at 831 479-8911
Costing $100 a night, noisy, and spewing exhaust fumes, the SCPD placed these bright klieg lights up every night for weeks in order to disperse the demonstration against the Sleeping Ban claiming they were necessary for "safety reasons." -- Photo by Becky Johnson Aug 18, 2010
The City has responded with Sleeping ban citations, blanket ban citations, statewide "anti-lodging" misdemeanor law citations, new "trespass" laws at both City Hall, the Central Library, Klieg Lights, private security guards and smear campaigns in the press. Yet the motley crew persist. Now an item on the agenda.
