Food Not Bombs is a 100% organic vegetarian food
service group committed to social progress and
non-violent civil disobediance. FNB is dedicated
to raising public awareness of homeless and
poverty issues from housing to health. We feel
and have demonstrated that a number of city
issues have been unjustly blamed on convenient
scapegoats such as the poor, the black, the
latino, and the young underemployed. There
is a tremendous need for people to discuss ways
to elevate the status of the lowest among us,
so that we can all be liberated, for our
liberation is woven inextricably to the liberation
of all.
Please join in discussion on alt.org.food-not-bombs
or e-mail me private comments. I would like
to schedule a CFV for Sept 30 (?) Is that enough
time to come up with a name and a charter?
-a
Food Not Bombs
3145 Geary #12, SF CA 94117 415 330 5050
tax ID 94-3111898 Coalition on Homelessness
Sept 17, 1993
There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding the hungry and
protesting war and poverty. This is a basic human right.
Interference with volunteer efforts to address hunger and
violence is profoundly unethical.
The solution for the City of San Francisco to end the use
of bureaucratic terrorism against Food Not Bombs is
simple. The City must begin to obey the law.
California Health and Safety Code clearly states that
"cooperative associations" like Food Not Bombs are
not "food facilities" and are not required to have
an health and sanitation permit to feed the hungry.
Because Food Not Bombs is engaged in a protest highlighting
the misappropriation of resources on the military while
hundreds of people go hungry, the activities of Food Not
Bombs are protected by the first amendment of the US
Constitution and the Constitution of the State of California.
The City has come to the end of excuses for its campaign
of harassment against the volunteers and guests of Food
Not Bombs. To continue to spend hundreds of thousands of
tax dollars for the narrow political agenda of city officials
is particularly outrageous when so many basic services
are being cut.
The Board of Supervisors has the authority, as pointed
out by City Attny in Sept 93 memo, to amend the PARK
CODE. Section 7.03 should read
"Permits Required": No person shall without a permit
perform any of the following acts in the park:
(k) Sell food to persons except that no permit is
required when persons are feeding the hungry for
free or when a person participating in a picnic or
social gathering of 25 or fewer persons provides food
to others who are also participating in the picnic
or social event.
It's time the City stop its interference with Food Not
Bombs and the rights of the homeless. Food Not Bombs
should be left alone.
FNB9_17
Thur lunch 9/16 Nick Allessandro and Art ? arrested, released 3am
dinner no arrests, cops did confiscate soup.
Keep those e-mails of encouragement coming, they really help!
Prayer meeting successful, look forward to more.
> crap, had had enough & wasn't gonna take it no more
Make no mistakes, I'm not against them feeding homeless people. But I'm
terribly annoyed that:
1- they are not willing just get the permits they need.
in SFFNBLEGAL (anonymous ftp netcom.com;cd pub/andyrose)
you will find that no health permit is required by California State Law,
you will also find that the ordinance created by the City regarding
the use of public spaces, esp. Golden Gate Park and Civic Center, was
intended to criminalize Food Not Bombs.
2- They charade around saying they're the only ones being harassed by the
governmental agencies when if they'd merely get the requisite permits, this
wouldn't happen.
Sorry, no permits may be issued to an organization distributing food
for free in a City park.
3- as expressed in previous posts- the reason they REFUSE to get the permits is
because they are trying to make a statement and feel that this requires
feeding people illegally in a public peace.
Who's law brother?
Listen to yourself, "feeding people in a public space", illegally.
In Buddhism, compassion and wisdom are emphasized.
Quakers emphasize service.
Chistians were told by Christ to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.
Islam ? Hebrew? Shinto?
4- I feel that if all they TRULY wanted to do was feed the homeless p
eople, they'd comply with public food serving regulations and not worry about
silly things like -where- they feed them- they'd be far more successful in
helping humanity.
We believe that reducing the expenditure on munitions and taxing the sale
of weapons if not reducing or eliminating the sale and creation of weapons
will allow for resources to be freed to increase the Quality of Life of
all people so that we don't have to feed people and can get on with
the task at hand.
5- They're merely using this 'persecution' by the government to get publicity.
If our aim was publicity, and you could claim that we are getting publicity
now, wouldn't we stop?
If this weren't the case, surely they could form an alliance with another
agency that feeds the homeless, who has the permits, and continue feeding
people.
We are in complete alliance with all agencies that feed homeless, have
permits, and continue to feed people. We love them and we support every
effort they make to alleviate hunger.
6- They steadfastly REFUSE to understand that regardless of whether or not
THEY feel that they are doing something good, you MUST comply with the laws
of this state and country, and you're free to try to change them.
Do you drive 55? Have you smoked pot? Do you jaywalk? How often have
you made a decision in favor of breaking a law because you won't be
caught, everybody does it, and you think it's stupid anyway.
Well, you have experience direct action and civil disobediance for
youself. You know it's right.
You have the right to defy an unjust law, in a non-violent way.
Violence is defined socailly, evolutionally, and culturally.
You see violence everyday, because you watch TV. You are
so desensitized to violence you cannot tell when violence is
being perpetrated on a class or race of people.
!Simply put: whether you feel your intentions are good or bad, breaking the
!law is not an acceptable action.
Excuse me for living, buddy.
!Here in Santa Cruz, I had a radio talk show, one of these guys called in
!and I got to discuss things with him. Simply getting the permits required
!to do what they'd like to do was not an option to him. He was SURE that
!the government was after their organization.
COINTELPRO ring a bell? Keith McHenry has been arrested HUNDREDS of times
for feeding people. Food Not Bombs has been specifically named in
dozens of government and media documents. Reporters and editors with
known police connections continue to spread lies and defame Food Not
Bombs for such things as "throwing ladles." Food Not Bombs pays good
money for ladles and would never, ever throw a ladle. That's three
bucks gone, and we got not money bro.
!If they -TRULY- wanted to feed people, they'd get past this ASININE
!persecution-complex and start doing what they -say- they want to do:
!FEED PEOPLE!
I want to feed people as much as the next guy.
!
!You don't feed anyone but LAWYERS by taking cities to court!
You are insane. Do you think we feed lawyers?
!
!You don't feed anyone but the media by bitching and moaning to them about
!how the city won't let you serve food without a permit.
Hey, I was just cooking in my kitchen when Channel Two came over
to check it out. I didn't say anything about permits. We do need
cups though.
!
!There- now we've spent way more time then we should have on this totally
!irrelevent topic.
!
!If they've got their own ALT group, how about keeping it there? Just as
!ALT.SEX.BESTIALITY.BARNEY posts don't belong here either.
!
Perhaps, since you are such an orderly person, you are familiar with
the Third Reich?
-- The opinions expressed herewith reflect no consensus on the part of Food Not Bombs, Fractal Factory or any combination of Aaron, Andrew, Keith, Scott or others. Unless otherwise specifically mentioned. andyrose@netcom.com