Oakland, CA. Oakland Implements Apartheid for Unhoused Residents

For Immediate Release
Press Contact: Tiny Garcia (510) 435-7500
deeandtiny@gmail.com

Oakland Implements Apartheid for Unhoused Residents

At yesterdays Oakland city council meeting the extremely dangerous Encampment Management Policy was unanimously approved, which will result in the forced removal, further criminalization, poLicing and even death of hundreds of unhoused residents from safe places to rest, sleep and live.

“This is the implementation of apartheid for the poorest Oakland residents, the violent war ON our poor bodies continues, and has now become more deadly, “said Tiny Garcia, formelry houseless co-founder of Homefulness. “From Shannon Marie Bigley to Desireee Quintero when our unhoused bodies are removed from safe places to rest we face death,” Tiny concluded.

In addition as reported and witnessed by houseless RoofLESS radio reporters in Oakland, ” This ban was being implemented before it was voted on, we have already been swept from most streets in Oakland ” said Joh Rogers Jr, a houseless, long-time Oakland resident.

“The people voting on this evil law have never felt poverty, hunger, struggle, or they wouldnt be voting to approve this,” said Aunti Frances Moore, co-founder of the Self-Help Hunger Program and Homefulness.

All of the houseless and formerly houseless, Black, Brown, indigenous and disabled youth, families and elders that comprise the liberated villages of Homefulness, POOR Magazine and Deecolonize Academy hereby demands the immediate release of hundreds of acres of hoarded and stolen land in the City of Oakland be granted to homeless Oakland residents, majority of whom are long-time Oakland residents who lost their homes through gentrification, poltrickster, colonial policies, eviction, speculation, police predation, harassment and ongoing attacks on poor Black, Brown, Disabled and Indigenous Oaklanders. We are demanding these immediate land grants so houseless peoples can build their own self-determined solutions to homelessness like Wood Street Collective, Homefulness and the Self-Help Hunger Program

“Ban capitalism!!! How the fuck they think encampments started. My people lived in “encampments “ before colonization, they were called villages! Homelessness was not a concept in our territories 200 yrs ago and they call this progress?! If they’re going to outlaw them then house everyone!”, said Corrina Gould, Lisjan/Ohlone land liberator, co-founder of Sogorea Te Land Trust and co-founder of Homefulness

“With Oaklands new Encampment Management Policy, we are going to see the same things happen as they have in the history of the Bay Area, continuing the forceful removal of people who have nowhere else to go and are just trying to survive…” said Tiburcio ,17 year old, formerly houseless youth resident of Homefulness and student at Deecolonize Academy

“These encampments weren’t here before because people had their homes, but now we have all been gentrified and the city is trying to get rid off all homeless people, that not the solution they should get homeless people homes so folks can get some rest also for the children and elders shoudn;t be on the streets. ” sais Amir Cornish, 17 year old formerly houseless student at Deecolonzie Academy.

This new policy is the redlining of homeless people and will put people in danger of more arrests and criminalization. These policies have always been around it’s just this time we have a name to call it and certainly nothing under the sun , said Kimo Umu, 17 year old formerly houseless student of Deecolonzie Academy

“This new policy is another attack to people already in struggle. Policies and Laws clearly aren’t made to help they just solidify the power that the colonizers already have. One has to create their own solutions like we have manifested at Homefulness,” said Akil Carrillo, 17, youth poverty skola at Deecolonize Academy

Story on this issue:
https://sfbayview.com/2020/10/encampment-bans-on-stolen-land/

 

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I submit to you that if a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live….Dr. Martin Luther King Jr…

Tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia
Co-madre/Co-editor/Daughter of Dee
POOR Magazine/PoorNewsNetwork(PNN)
Author of Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Homeless in America
www.poormagazine.org
www.tinygraygarcia.com
www.racepovertymediajustice.org