Poor People United to demonstrate Friday

Poor People United to demonstrate day after Thanksgiving



What: Nonviolent Direct Action, Community Potluck and Vigil

Where: Liberty Pole

When: Friday, November 28 at 5:00pm

Members of Poor People United will hold a vigil, share a free community meal, and lead a nonviolent direct action aimed at drawing attention to the ongoing struggle of homeless people in Rochester. We will legally assemble the public vigil and community meal at the Liberty Pole. Some of the PPU demonstrators may risk arrest in a separate non-violent action near this legal assembly.

Members of PPU have organized rallies at the County Legislature. We have attended the legislative meetings, documented the harrowing experiences of those seeking assistance, and organized scores of ordinary people to speak about the crises facing poor people in Monroe County.

We have had several meetings with county decision-makers, urging them to establish an emergency, non-exclusive hypothermia shelter. However TONIGHT, as winter approaches and temperatures are routinely below zero, homeless people will still sleep in the old subway.

From the organizers:
"Volunteers are needed to mobilize support, yes on Thanksgiving, to drive members of PPU to the various soup kitchens to reach out to people and let them know
that they won't be forgotten the day after Thanksgiving.
It is critical that we get a good turn out for this event. There will most
likely be arrests, and just to keep things on the safe and human rights side
we should have as many eyes out there as possible. You know what I mean."

For a related report on the fight for the right to housing, see the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP): http://www.ocap.ca/ocapnews/gatekeeper.html