Food Not Bombs Protests Las Vegas Law Banning Feeding Homeless in City Parks

Homeless advocates are a light in this desert town run by a mob lawyer who has a beef with the poor.

Photo courtesy: sachamaric.com

(LAS VEGAS, Nv.) - Been to Sin City lately? Do you care about homeless people?

Homeless advocates are inviting the nation to join them for a special demonstration against the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, August 10th, it happens in the wake of a city decision that makes feeding a homeless person in a park against the law.

Advocates for humanity say they have had enough.

Las Vegas homeless advocates Gail Sacco, Lyla Barholomae, and members of the international organization Food Not Bombs will peacefully assemble at Las Vegas City Hall located at 400 Stewart Ave. to assert their Constitutionally-protected rights to help the poor, giving life-sustaining food and water. The demonstration happens August 10th at noon.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and the Las Vegas City Council unanimously passed an ordinance July 19th, which makes it illegal to share food with poverty-stricken people in any city park.

Despite the new law, many have continued to give food to the poor. Gail Sacco has continued her daily vegetarian picnics with the hungry at Huntridge Circle Park in downtown Las Vegas despite harassment from both police and park marshals.

On July 31st, Beth Monk- a local radio personality of 96.3 KKLZ- became the first person to be cited under the newest anti-homeless ordinance. Six other people were issued citations and three arrests were made when the radio station and other individuals attempted to serve free donuts and water at Frank Wright Plaza, a city park which is located next to Las Vegas City Hall.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada has now filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Las Vegas. According to Lee Rowland of the ACLU, the ordinance violates an individual's constitutional rights to free speech, assembly, exercise of religion, due process of law and equal protection under the law.

Food Not Bombs is one of the fastest growing revolutionary movements and is gaining momentum throughout the world. There are hundreds of autonomous chapters sharing free vegetarian food with hungry people and protesting war and poverty.

This energetic grassroots movement is active throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Food Not Bombs is organizing for peace and an end to the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. For over 25 years the movement has worked to end hunger and has supported actions to stop the globalization of the economy, restrictions to the movements of people, end exploitation and the destruction of the earth.

For years, homeless people in Las Vegas have had to watch their backs. Many of the homeless men served in a war called Vietnam, and in recent years the vets have become favored targets of "bum rolling" which is often a very slow. pre-meditated murder, committed through the use of pipes, clubs and shopping carts heaved onto people, generally by Las Vegas teens.

Now, homeless people have to watch their backs just to accept a gift of food and it is pathetic. Can Las Vegas cops with such a jaded departmental history, really feel good about this?

Mob lawyer-turned-Sin City Mayor Oscar Goodman, advocated for the coldest blooded killers who ever walked the face of the earth during his career, murderers like Tony "the Ant" Spilotro, who doubled as mob burglars, real proud suff, eh?

Metro cops should remember that there were plenty of German SS troops who said no to killing Jewish people in the 30's and 40's. Many if not most were taken out, literally, and their choice to accept death rather than handing it out, was correct.

It seems that our greedy society, typified by the gambling of Vegas, needless war against other nations, and a continuing spiral into poverty, may be nearing the point where people take the power back. Good luck Gail, Beth and everyone else who is fighting this un-American, non-Christian law. I think you are going to have a big turnout August 10th.

Tim King contributed to this report.