End the Sweeps Now!

As GET LOUD is part of  Denver Homeless Out Loud  
we felt the need to share with our readers just how strongly Denver Homeless Out Loud has been advocating for the immediate cessation of the city sactioned sweeps of the homeless community in Denver Colorado.   

​​    Mayor Michael Hancock has directed the Denver Police to sweep away every homeless person sleeping, having “too many” belongings, or otherwise trying to survive outside in public space. These sweeps are devastating our community. It can hardly be called anything other than a “war on homeless people.”

    The sweeps began on March 8th, 2016 by Broadway and Lawrence and was just his kick off for policy and proceedures that continue today. Under the Mayor’s direction, police have been on streets throughout the entire city every day and night telling people to move along, waking people from sleep, and taking their personal belongings.

    Every morning or night since the sweeps began in March police have come to the public land where people have been sleeping and telling people to wake up, move along, and give them written warnings.  
Even at spots where no one is incumbering the sidewalk (i.e. the Resurection Village community).  At this spot no one is encumbering the sidewalk, and the area is kept clean by those staying there. The only law being broken is the “camping ban” (better named the survival ban) which makes it illegal to cover yourself with anything other than your clothing. After the sweeps began March 8th many people who had congregated by the Samaritan house, (just a few blocks from Coor's Feild) were displaced from that area and came to sleep at spots like Resurection Village.  However, with nightly awakenings and move alongs by the police many of people have wandered further to other more hiden spots in hopes of finding some place to rest. The whole city has been affected including people sleeping by the river who are trying to sta out of the way. Some have reported that they have been followed around the city by police told to move every time they lay down to rest. This MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY.

          We need rest. 
          We are not “camping,” we are surviving. 
          We have to exist somewhere. 
         We have a right to survive.
          We will not be hidden. 
          We need homes not sweeps.
          The city can’t force us into the shelters as if they were a new kind of jail.
          We are demanding the City immediately end the sweeps 
          We are demanding the City immediately end the confiscation of people’s belongings.


Furthermore as a city we must…
    *Repeal the Camping Ban and Pass a Right to Survive
    *Instead of spending city money criminalizing homelessness, we must allocate public funds for homes
     and allow underutilized public space as an option until such homes are available.