A dozen activists could be charged with misdemeanor crimes – for feeding the homeless in a public California park.
The city of El Cajon, near San Diego, banned ‘food sharing’ in public spaces back in October in an effort to curtail the spread of Hepatitis A .
But a group called Break the Ban, some of whose members face charges for their violation of the city’s code due to their alleged ‘crime’ on Sunday, sees the ban differently.
‘It was really a disguise,’ attorney Scott Dreher told NBC San Diego. ‘People were complaining homeless people will come to the park if you give them free stuff.’
A group called Break the Ban fed the homeless at Wells Park in El Cajon, California on Sunday. Twelve people were cited and could be charged with misdemeanor crimes in connection with the act
The city banned ‘food sharing’ in public spaces back on October in an effort to curtail the spread of Hepatitis A
But the volunteer group sees the ban as a means to keep the homeless out of public spaces.
The volunteer group was handing out food to homeless people at Wells Park in El Cajon.
One of the twelve volunteers, all of whom were issued citations, was only 14 years old.
The citizens could face up to a $1,000 fine and even jail for the act of feeding the homeless.
The volunteers were also handing out clothing and toiletries.
The city says that the measure is meant to curtail its Hepatitis A outbreak and cites the existence of more than a dozen locations throughout the 100,000-person city that offer food to the homeless.
‘What we’re saying is feeding them at city parks is a bad idea given the situation,’ a councilmember told NBC San Diego.
Sunday’s ‘feed the homeless’ event was the fourth such even Break the Ban has put on since October, Fox5SanDiego reports.
‘The only people not allowed to be served in this park and all of El Cajon are the homeless,’ event co-organizer Leslie Gollub told Fox5SanDiego.
‘It was really a disguise,’ attorney Scott Dreher told NBC San Diego . ‘People were complaining homeless people will come to the park if you give them free stuff’
Sunday’s event was the fourth the group has held since the Sunday ban. Pictured is a Facebook page for an event this past November. ‘It was absolutely necessary to break this law until they were willing to enforce it, and, now that they have, we will continue this fight in court,’ co-organizer Shane Parmely told the San Diego Union-Tribune
‘It was absolutely necessary to break this law until they were willing to enforce it, and, now that they have, we will continue this fight in court,’ co-organizer Shane Parmely told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Hepatitis A is a liver virus generally caused by the spread of touched objects, food or sexual intercourse.
There is a vaccine for the disease.
The group has announced that it will take the City of El Cajon to court over the ban, which it says is unconstitutional and discriminatory, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.