It’s that time of year again! It’s time for the 2016 Pitch-A-Tent!

Each year as a highlight of Portland’s Rose Festival, our city hosts a Grand Floral Parade, attracting tourism and encouraging local business.

In order to accommodate attendees, the City of Portland issues a permit which allows people to camp overnight on the night proceeding along the parade’s 4.2 mile route. During the rest of the year Portland’s police and private security harass, oppress, cite and arrest people who must sleep on the streets because they have no other place to sleep. With the shelters full, houseless people have no other place to sleep without trespassing on private properties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this one night when it is legal to sl…eep on the sidewalks, Right 2 Survive hosts a camp out in protest of the taking and destruction of persons belongings and the criminalization of the houseless. Criminal records do not help people obtain employment so they can get off the streets. Punishing someone with criminal penalties simply for exercising the human need for sleep is wrong. We feel funds spent on policing and harassing those needing sleep would be better spent on shelters, affordable or low-income housing, and employment assistance.

Come on down to the corner of SW 4th & Washington for an evening of food, entertainment, and fun! Help us raise the awareness of our human need and right to sleep, no matter who we are! This is a free event!

Some of this year’s entertainment line up includes:

Walidah Imerisha
Mic and Jana Crenshaw
Dj Merv
Jeff Zucker
Adam Cappernelle
Paul Boden
Theater Of The Oppressed
Films by Colin
Raging Grannies
and many many more!

Come enjoy free food, music, and great conversations! We look forward to seeing you there!

If you or your organization would like to speak or perform for this annual event, please get in touch with us by emailing Ibrahim Mubarak at executivedirector@right2survive.net or see facebook event.

P.S. We will have a hundred or two tents available to loan out, but we don’t have sleeping bags, so this is a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bedding) event.