Activists Arrested For Feeding Homeless, Armed Activists Doing The Same Remain Unscathed

TAMPA, FLORIDA:  The group Food not Bombs donated their own time and money to present a hot meal to their fellow-man. This humanitarian effort was set up in Lykes Gaslight Park as hundreds of nearby sports fans were showing up to the events at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

On the menu was warm bagels, organic beans, rice, and chips to help warm the bellies of the homeless who reside in or near the park. They were able to wash them down with a nice hot cup of coffee. This was all being conducted with no disturbances, and was very peaceful, while the bond between humans was bliss. There is something special about the connection you get with others who are less fortunate during a compassionate exchange. Then the killjoy is injected into this public-spirited sharing event. The City of Tampa came in to perform the usual tyranny that’s so common in our country. Feeding other people is illegal in the City, and there are actual goons who enforce this unjust law upon their neighbors. To further deepen their pockets, the City requires you go downtown and forfeit money to them in exchange for a special permit to offer free food to people in the park.  By having to pay the city for a permission slip to feed the homeless twice a week can be very expensive and completely unnecessary for free men and women.

Food Not Bombs even knew their actions were illegal. They were warned earlier in the week not to feed the homeless in the park.  They stood tall, brave, fearless and proceeded anyway.  Seven arrests were made during the unjust raid, with some still wearing the latex gloves that they were serving food with. When the cops showed up, they puffed out their chests and with their sinister eyes, shouted out an authoritarian command of  “You’ve got three minutes to stop feeding people here!”  The city’s henchmen moved in and physically pulled volunteers away from the tables as they continued to serve up plates of food. As an activist was being dragged off he exclaimed to the hungry people, “Please help yourselves!”. A gentleman who was still reaching for a warm bagel was also detained, shackled and thrown in a cage.  Watch the video of this disappointing overreach conducted by these indoctrinated order-followers. (Courtesy of Erin Sauer, below)

Food not Bombs sent an email to the local press Saturday night, stating that it, “has no plans to stop sharing food with the homeless and hungry and will continue to defy unjust laws that criminalize compassion and mutual aid.”  They will again ignore the city’s immoral ordinance and assemble at the same location again on Tuesday at 8 a.m.

A spokesperson for the group was quoted in the email “We intend to expose the city’s cruelty in the face of thousands in our community who are struggling with issues of food insecurity, mental and medical health issues, poverty, and homelessness. If the city will not address these problems, the least they can do is not get in the way and stop others from addressing these needs. Compassion should never be criminalized.”

This is not the first time that these big-hearted activists have been arrested for providing meals to the homeless. Tampa has also locked up other caring groups for doing the same thing.

Meanwhile in Texas, we here at DontComply.com have successfully completed our fourth annual Feed the Need here in Dallas, Texas where it is also illegal to feed your fellow-man. Open carry of handguns or long guns is encouraged at our events. We have been warned and threatened with citations and possible arrests if we continue this good deed. We also bring out tables and get donations to stock, cash donations for the purchase of food, essential winter clothing, and even tents. Volunteers all over Dallas and Fort Worth gather in downtown to pass out hot meals, blankets, and good conversation. Saturday night we went downtown again to locate any homeless who are sleeping the freezing elements without shelter and prop up tents and leave them with a blanket and a bowl of hot soup. Watch the video here. Another video by A Better Way to Human can be seen here.   To date no one has been arrested for our (illegal) humanitarian efforts, could it be because we do ours while armed? We’ve done hundreds of open carry walks and other random events all while we were armed. Yet there are countless protesters that shun the sight of a gun, even when they are protesting against the violation of their rights. Not welcoming people who want to join in their cause just because they choose to carry a self-defense tool is passing on the oppression that is being handed to them. Arming yourselves while engaging in civil disobedience will help deter arrests or even keep away these government officials who think what they are doing is right.  “An Armed Society is a Polite Society”