THREAD
Tomorrow morning, Mon. Oct 22, police will begin to evict the houseless encampment on Broadway between Ray's and Salvation Army. Although this has happened many times before, the city has now set aside 200k to build a "homeless daytime park" to stop the camp #LegalizeSleep
Tomorrow morning, Mon. Oct 22, police will begin to evict the houseless encampment on Broadway between Ray's and Salvation Army. Although this has happened many times before, the city has now set aside 200k to build a "homeless daytime park" to stop the camp #LegalizeSleep
This will allow the city to displace hundreds of folx without shelters in the winter. This emcampment has been demonized in the media and by the city as a center of crime, while in reality these are the most marginalized people in town providing mutual aid to one another.
Religious charities that offer shelter to these folx often have strict programs that exclude people that work at night, trans people, and drug users. These shelters are often as dangerous as staying on the street, and for some folx more so.
This eviction and the proposed park are nothing more than an attack on the most marginalized people in our community, on behalf of the gentrifying forces who wish to profit from every bit of urban land left in Knoxville.
Contractors have begun making high-rise apartments around town with 1 room apartments going for $2500/ month. Restaurants, retaillers and other businesses the gentry bring us are low paying service industry jobs that don't allow the workers to stay in their own neighborhoods.
We cannot let the city and capitalists displace us. House dwelling or not. So here is our ask
1) Show up to the camp today with a group of your friends. Bring cigarettes, coffee, food, what ever you can. Ask the people what they need. If we cannot provide it now, we can organize to meet our communities needs when the state and capital fail us.
2) Help document the displacement of this encampment. This can mean videoing the eviction early monday morning, or talking with folx on the street about how this is affecting them and write it down. We must make visible what the gentry wish not to see.
