Denver’s Decade of Doom A Week of Grievance and Action after 10 Years of the Camping (aka Survival) Ban

May 14th, 2012, the Denver City Council passed the Unauthorized Camping Ban 38.86.2 which makes it a crime “to use any form of protection from the elements other than one’s clothing.” May 14th, 2022, our community has suffered the doom of this law for 10 years. 

We hear it on the streets all the time – “I am doomed.” With the Camping (aka Survival) Ban on the books and enforced, people without housing are chased around the City, displaced on a constant basis, faced with threats of tickets or arrest, losing property, losing limbs in freezing cold, and facing endless, devastating effects of this law. 

The week leading up to the 10 year anniversary of the Camping (aka Survival) Ban, each day starting Sunday going until Saturday, groups will be hosting actions or events to grieve the past 10 years and to fight to end the Ban. A calendar of these events is below. (Stay tuned for additions and developments!).  

10 years of doom from a city that chooses to ticket houseless people for sleeping rather than make housing attainable has not led the people to give up the fight…it has led to an even stronger resolve that this unjust law must GO.

Join the community in crying out that the Camping (aka Survival) Ban has been law for 10 years too many. 

Week of Action

Sunday May 8th

• 9:30am – 11:30am, 16th & Curtis

Community Meal and Protest

Host: Occupy Denver/ Janet’s Kitchen

• 10:30am, Benedict Fountain Park (401 e 20th Ave Denver CO 80205)

Community trash removal and water support for people living at encampments 

Host: Headwater Protectors

• 3pm, 29th & Arkins

Community Meal

Host: Food not Bombs

• 4pm – 5pm, Benedict Fountain Park – Holy Trinity Church (basement)

Community Meal

Host: Cats Not Cops

Monday May 9th

• 4pm – 7pm, In front of City and County Building 14th and Bannock

Food, Clothing, Other resources, and community

Host: Mutual Aid Monday 

• 5pm, Inside City and County Building, Council Chambers 

City Council, Public Comment 

Tuesday May 10th

• 5am – 11am, Sweep (aka TRAUMATIC DISPLACEMENT) of an Encampment, Location to be announced 

Sweeps usually take place every Tuesday morning displacing a community of houseless people to some new block to face sweeps again…

            Contact: Mutual Aid Monday supports encampment residents facing sweeps with food, coffee, and sometimes moving assistance – come help

• 4pm – 5pm, Benedict Fountain Park – Holy Trinity Church (basement)

Community Meal

Host: Cats not Cops

Wednesday May 11th

• 5-11am, Sweep (aka TRAUMATIC DISPLACEMENT) of an Encampment, Location to be announced 

Sweeps usually take place every Wednesday morning displacing a community of houseless people to some new block to face sweeps again…

Contact: Mutual Aid Monday supports encampment residents facing sweeps with food, coffee, and sometimes moving assistance – come help

• 4:30-6:30pm, Location to be announced 

Potluck and educational discussion lead by encampment residents 

Host: Houseless Encampment residents and Housekeys Action Network Denver

Thursday May 12th

• 5am – 11am, Sweep (aka TRAUMATIC DISPLACEMENT) of an Encampment, Location to be announced 

Sweeps usually take place every Thursday morning displacing a community of houseless people to some new block to face sweeps again…

            Contact: Mutual Aid Monday supports encampment residents facing sweeps with food, coffee, and sometimes moving assistance – come help

• 4pm – 5pm, Benedict Fountain Park – Holy Trinity Church (basement)

Community Meal

Host: Cats not Cops

Friday May 13th

• 4pm – 7:30pm, Location to be announced 

10 Years Too Many: An evening of Camping Ban Video, History, Enforcement Updates, and more. (Including Without Housing presentation by Paul Boden of Western Regional Advocacy Project)  

Host: Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND)

Saturday May 14th

• 10am – 2pm, City and County Building front steps 

10 Years Too Many: Rally, Community Resources, March to End the Ban 

Hosted by a large coalition of groups

Speakers 

Music: Los Mocochetes, Laura Goldhammer

Food

Resources

Services

1pm, City and County Building to Downtown Business Partnership office on 16th St Mall

March to Downtown Denver Business Partnership (the author of the Camping Ban)

Join the community in this week of action – demand the Camping (aka Survival) Ban GO.