SPOKANE, Wash. — Local activist Alfredo Llamedo delivered his final address to Spokane residents on Monday as he battles terminal illness under hospice care.
Llamedo is known in Spokane as a voice behind many grassroots movements advocating for homeless residents and an adamant opponent of the city’s "sit-and-lie" ordinance.
In November, Llamedo was the driving force behind the “Camp Hope” protest, where dozens of demonstrators formed a wall around homeless residents’ tents and belongings. The protesters, many of whom were homeless themselves, were concerned about homeless residents’ well-being amid cold temperatures and inadequate shelter space.
Llamedo shared a City of Spokane notice with KREM in November that asked the homeless residents to remove property from the area.
"When we had Camp Hope here, the outpouring of support from citizens of this city was incredible," Llamedo said at his address on Monday. "Spokane is love. This community has a lot of love. This community has a lot of compassion."
Llamedo also staged a hunger strike at City Hall in November before the Spokane City Council temporarily suspended the controversial "sit-and-lie" ordinance until funding was made available for an emergency shelter.
Several weeks later, Llamedo served as the lead organizer of a protest in downtown Spokane over what they were calling the lack of resources in Spokane.
On Monday, Llamedo thanked the Spokane community for bringing homelessness to the forefront.
"I think in all the years I've been at the battle, I don't think I've ever seen homelessness take the lead," he said.
He also spoke about the two camps in thinking about homelessness: one that wants to associate homelessness with criminal behavior and another that "looks at it for what it is."
"That's nothing that makes you a criminal just because you're homeless," he said.
Llamedo also shared his struggles with advocacy, when he and a friend were protesting "sit-and-lie" in freezing cold temperatures. He said he felt alone in the fight before a professor at Eastern Washington University reminded taught him a defining lesson.
"I am the transmitter. My job is to get the message out there. Whether or not the receivers are getting it is not important to me," he said. "Today some of you out there are going to turn into transmitters."
Llamedo also reminded Spokane residents to use person-first language when referring to people experiencing homelessness.
"When you define them in that way [homeless person], you take away their humanity," he added. "Words are powerful. Words are important, so choose your language carefully.”
Watch Llamedo's full address below:
During his address, Llamedo also addressed ongoing topics of debate and discussion in Spokane, including rising rent prices. He added that residents need to push Mayor David Condon and city council members for change.
“If we were pushing as a city, we would have protections in place to keep people in their homes. They would not be evicted because of greedy landlords who raise the rent," he said.
At the end of his address, Llamedo asked listeners for one thing: deliver the message for him.
“Don’t let us be identified by those who hate," he said. "Be loving, be caring, be compassionate. Don't turn your back on those in the community who need you most. Step up. Do the right thing and help them."
Llamedo battles terminal illness
Joan Medina, a friend of Llamedo, said he is imminently dying and under hospice care. He has decided to no longer drink fluids or eat foods due to his medical condition and is expected to live only a few more days.
In a blog post, Llamedo writes that he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in August 2018, followed by Hepatic Encephalopathy.
"I do not want to become anyone but who I am, I was born Alfredo, I have lived as Alfredo, and I will die as Alfredo," Llamedo wrote about his choice to abstain from food and drink.
"Ultimately choosing how and when to die is a decision that is personal, but may affect others within your universe, and that's where it gets tricky. I have chosen to be direct and blunt, that is who I've always been," he added later.