SPOKANE, Wash. — Earlier this month, police removed dozens of tents outside of Spokane City Hall. People were camping there as a protest over what they called a lack of resources for the homeless in Spokane.
Wednesday evening, homelessness advocates protested again, this time outside River Park Square.
The demonstrators are turning their attention to the general public, rather than focusing only on government officials. They want citizens and businesses to pay attention to their issues.
"We intend to be everywhere. We intend to be a presence. We're not going away," said lead organizer Alfredo LLamedo. "We're hoping that some people walk up and say: why are you doing this? So we can explain to them."
The message they aim to send: the city needs to do more for the homeless.
The protesters have four specific demands:
- Repeal the No Sit No Lie ordinance
- Repeal the anti-camping ordinance
- Open more warming centers
- Provide 24/7 full-service shelters
As for the warming centers, LLamedo acknowledged the city has been opening those, but he points out they're only a partial solution, and not a substitute for full shelters.
"Shelters provide showers. Shelters provide beds. Shelters provide a meal. And shelters provide a place to store your gear," he said. "They do not provide those at the warming centers. You sit on a floor on a thin mat."
As for the ordinances, the protesters say they effectively criminalize homelessness.
"These laws are not applied equally," said LLamedo.
And part of the reason the group is now visibly downtown is to grab the attention of the Downtown Spokane Partnership.
"The biggest proponent of the Sit and Lie Ordinance has been the DSP," LLamedo said.
That's basically true. The DSP helped write the ordinance, and has shown up in numbers at council meetings to speak in support of it.
The president of the DSP, Mark Richard, responded to the protests.
"I think their anger and actions are certainly misdirected," he said. "These businesses open their hearts, they open their doors, they open their wallets to people in need all the time."
Richard says he's sympathetic towards those on the streets, but takes issues with this group of protesters and their methods.
"These small group of individuals don't represent the folks in genuine need," he said. "They just simply want a lot of things for free and they want to live in a land without laws."
He also argues, No Sit No Lie is important for keeping downtown vibrant and safe.
"I would challenge anybody to find a more compassionate version of the Sit and Lie Ordinance in our country," he said.
But LLamedo isn't buying it, and hopes this protest can convince others to join his cause.
Richard, though, thinks it will have the opposite effect.
"I think what you saw was a lot of hard working Spokanites and people come doing their shopping were put off by this message," he said.
The protest Wednesday is only the first of what will be a series of protests, according to LLamedo, all downtown. LLamedo expects upcoming protests this weekend will draw larger numbers than the roughly two dozen demonstrators that came out on Wednesday.
