Seattle was ground zero for #Covid19 in the US. But even with thousands of new cases, the city continued to search and destroy homeless encampments, even after it was clear this put people in danger of infection.
My latest with @GuyOron for @thenation
thenation.com/article/societ…
My latest with @GuyOron for @thenation
thenation.com/article/societ…
The @ACLU_WA has filed against the City of Seattle around the Homeless Sweeps. The suit—which was filed in Oct—argues that the city has criminalized poverty and is punishing people for trying to live on City-owned land, despite a severe lack of shelter availability in Seattle.
It also says that when the City sweeps an encampment, it disturbs a homeless person’s private affairs and invades their only source of privacy/refuge—and that the City cannot do so without a warrant, which encampment removals do not have.
This was going on during our pandemic.
This was going on during our pandemic.
On 3/22, CDC released a statement confirming what many already knew: that sweeps increase “the potential for infectious disease spread.” A spokesperson for the Seattle Emergency Operations Center said certain sweeps of encampments still could not be ruled out.
Here is an example of a homeless encampment sweep that happened well into our #covid19 pandemic. His encampment was tucked away under a highway bridge away from any pedestrian sidewalk. Not an obstruction. Not a safety hazard. Tent and generator destroyed.
southseattleemerald.com/2020/03/18/opi…
southseattleemerald.com/2020/03/18/opi…
