At the Safe Ground movement rally
Before the 10:00 AM rally at City Hall that the "Safe Ground movement" had planned for this morning, Sister Libby [CEO of Loaves & Fishes] came up to me and I asked if Cathleen Williams is still a part of the "movement." Libby nodded and said "yes," or "oh, yes" in a strong, certain way.
"Shouldn't she not be?" I asked.
"I've been reading your blog," said Libby, politely. "I don't think that she's communistic. Communion is part of the movement."
As she was walking away, I asked Libby if she believed People's Tribune was communist. There was no response, or perhaps Libby didn't hear me.
I didn't stay, but later, maybe fifteen minutes after 10AM, I saw the crowd of people, numbering perhaps 100, maybe more, marching around City Hall, chanting repeatedly "What do we want? Safe Ground! When do we want it? Now!"
They settled in, where they had been, in an area between the two buildings that make up the City Hall complex. Joan Burke, Loaves & Fishes' Director of Advocacy said a few words through a megaphone – something about the great good work of this that and the other and him and her – and then Sr. Libby said a few things over the megaphone I couldn't make out.
People milled around, chatting in groups. There were homeless people, many wearing Safe Ground T-shirts; some men were very well dressed and had to have been politicians or businesspeople or lawyers; happy supporters of the homeless cause were there; more than a few seniors were there; as were some detached people, possibly city workers out to see what was happening. One older man with flowing hair was dressed impressively in a brown robe as a Jesuit or Benedictine monk, excepting that his sneakers and jeans showing below the robe distracted a bit from the effect. A motley, yet starkly liberal, grouping. A News40 van was parked nearby, as were a couple of large black police vans. A couple cops, closer to the action, were on bicycles.
"Shouldn't she not be?" I asked.
"I've been reading your blog," said Libby, politely. "I don't think that she's communistic. Communion is part of the movement."
As she was walking away, I asked Libby if she believed People's Tribune was communist. There was no response, or perhaps Libby didn't hear me.
I didn't stay, but later, maybe fifteen minutes after 10AM, I saw the crowd of people, numbering perhaps 100, maybe more, marching around City Hall, chanting repeatedly "What do we want? Safe Ground! When do we want it? Now!"
They settled in, where they had been, in an area between the two buildings that make up the City Hall complex. Joan Burke, Loaves & Fishes' Director of Advocacy said a few words through a megaphone – something about the great good work of this that and the other and him and her – and then Sr. Libby said a few things over the megaphone I couldn't make out.
People milled around, chatting in groups. There were homeless people, many wearing Safe Ground T-shirts; some men were very well dressed and had to have been politicians or businesspeople or lawyers; happy supporters of the homeless cause were there; more than a few seniors were there; as were some detached people, possibly city workers out to see what was happening. One older man with flowing hair was dressed impressively in a brown robe as a Jesuit or Benedictine monk, excepting that his sneakers and jeans showing below the robe distracted a bit from the effect. A motley, yet starkly liberal, grouping. A News40 van was parked nearby, as were a couple of large black police vans. A couple cops, closer to the action, were on bicycles.
Labels: homeless encampments, safe ground, Sister Libby
posted by Thomas Armstrong at
September 10, 2009
2 Comments:
I was there today too, took a few little videos and know it was a good peaceful rally with good educational value. We should mainly focus on helping to meet people's basic needs and not lose sight of helping the homeless to help themselves. We should not get lost in ego-driven petty politics. Red-baiting is kind of old hat. I myself am not an old guard communist, but I can relate to the true positive merits and potential of a true global democratic socialism. I cannot endorse the evilness of state corporate capitalism. But I digress... Let us help the homeless and support safeground!
Loaves & Fishes has long lost sight of helping the homeless to help themselves.
I am sorry that you are so fully ignorant of the history of the 20th Century, Peta-de-Aztlan. A "true global democratic socialism" would manifest as the realization of the Orwellian nightmare.
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