"Epic City Hall Slumber Party" Planned to Protest Camping Ban

Portland Mercury:

Sarah MirkSisters of the Road's MLK Day march heads past Right 2 Dream Too.As reported in this week's news section, city pressure on Right 2 Dream Too—the homeless "rest area" at NW 4th and Burnside—is intensifying. The group's first $641 fine is due February 1, and organizers say they'll try to look into making the site a "legal" campground while also holding out hope for a political savior to emerge in city hall. Supporters were already planning a big rally that morning at city hall, which happens to fall on a day when city council is in session. Now comes word of what's being billed as an "epic" city hall slumber party, starting the night before, January 31, and stretching into the hours before the council meeting. The protest comes amid an ongoing 24-hour city hall vigil aimed at overturning Portland's camping ban. From the Facebook page for the protest: We will be sleeping on the sidewalk in support of the basic human right to sleep, and in protest of the cities "camping ban," which makes it illegal to create any sort of shelter (including a sleeping bag...). There are Portlanders (including families) who break the law every single night, and risk random arrest and loss of possessions, just simply by sleeping. My goal is to make a chain of people that wraps around City Hall ensuring that members of City Council will have to literally walk over a body to get to work. Of course they will figure out a way to not have to do that, but it is still our goal!!! We picked the 31st so that we would be in front of City Hall on the morning of February 1st when the city begins to fine Right 2 Dream Too, a self sustaining rest area on West Burnside. I've got a message into Mayor Sam Adams' office on how they might handle the protest, and I'll update when I hear back. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

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