"Food Terrorists" Arrested in Orlando Florida

Since June 2, 2011, 12 members of Orlando Food Not Bombs have been arrested for sharing food in Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, Florida. The Mayor of Orlando, Bud Dyer, has called the members of Food Not Bombs “food terrorists” and stated, “I think they are using food or the feeding of the homeless for different purposes,”.

On July 24, 2006, the city of Orlando Florida passed an the"large group feedings"/anti-homeless feeding ordinance , limiting food sharing in city parks to 25 people or less including distributors and servers. In April 2007, a member of Food Not Bombs was arrested for distributing food in violation of the anti-feeding ordinance and was found not-guilty in October 2007. The city of Orlando did tell Food Not Bombs that they could food share at an old parking lot on Sylvan Lane surrounded by fencing and barbed wire. Jacqueline Dowd, of the nonprofit law firm Legal Advocacy at Work made this statement about the moving the food share from lake Eola Park to Sylvan Lot "They can be seen by people who may never have given a thought that homelessness is a problem in the city of Orlando," Dowd said. "They have absolutely no opportunity to do that when they are on Sylvia Lane, down by the railroad tracks, under the expressway, next to an OUC substation." The case moved up “justice” ladder and was argued in the Federal Appeals court in 2/11. On April 12, 2011, the Federal appeals court ruled the the City of Orlando can limit feeding of homeless and hungry in city parks. OFNB has continued to defy the ordinance by sharing food in downtown public parks such as City Hall Commons Plaza. While upholding the right of the City to regulate the "time, manner and place" of food sharings in public parks, the Court also noted that OFNB food sharings are "expressive conduct" that enjoys some protections under the First Amendment. On June 1, 2011, the city started arresting members of Orlando Food Not Bombs and have arrested a total of 12 people from 3 different food shares.

Although, the arrests in Orlando have been in the news of late, many other cities throughout the country have been passing ordinances hindering groups from feeding the homeless. On July 19, 2006, the Las Vegas City Council voted to approve an amendment to an existing ordinance that bans “the providing of food or meals to the indigent for free or for a nominal fee” in the city parks. The ordinance defines an indigent person as someone who a reasonable person would believe to be entitled to receive public assistance. In some cities, such as Cincinnati, Ohio and Chattanooga TN, the cities are using permits as a way to limit food sharing. In still other cities food safety is being used as a way to shut down groups that are sharing food with the homeless.

With unemployment rising and the social safety net being continually cut the numbers of people needing assistance has increased dramatically. It seems that government, in an attempt to keep the homeless and poor out of sight and out of mind, are using the police and the “injustice” system to prevent groups from helping others in their communities.

Orlando Food Not Bombs on their website states:

We act...

Because Food is a Right not a privilege!

Because there is enough Food for Everyone!
Because Scarcity is a Lie!

Because Food grows on Trees!

Because Poverty is Violence – unnecessary and unnatural!

Because Capitalism makes food a source of Profit not a source of nutrition!

Because we need Community not Control!

Because we need Gardens not Lawns!

Because we need Homes not Jails!
Because we need

Food Not Bombs!!

Videos of Arrests:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO0JdF48xsg

www.youtube.com/user/OrlandoCopWatch

National Coaliton of Homelessness Publication on Feeding Intolerance: 
Prohibitions on Sharing Food with People Experiencing Homelessness.

www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/foodsharing/index.html