by Keith McHenry, coordinator for Food Not Bombs
[keith@foodnotbombs.net]
[http://blog.foodnotbombs.net/food-not-bombs-thrives-even-as-it-faces-repression/]:
The San Francisco Police Department made history on August 15, 1988 when they made the first arrests ever for sharing food with the hungry. Nine volunteers arrived at the entrance to Golden Gate Park with organic vegan food prepared to share with the several hundred souls that were making the dense wooded park their home. A reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle learned of the the department's plan to deploy 45 members of the Tactical Squad to Haight and Stanyan to arrest the cooks and shortly after noon the nine Food Not Bombs volunteers were captured, cuffed and driven off to jail. The activists sang "we will not be moved" as the police vans removed them from the scene.
After spending most of the night in a holding cell at police headquarters they were released to discover that the Chronicle had published a huge photo of riot police guarding the food from the hungry with a headline proclaiming "Nine Volunteers Arrested For Feeding the Homeless at Golden Gate Park." The Food Not Bombs answering service on Polk Street was swamped with calls from people wanting to help. Offers of food, legal support, help with cooking and even commitments to risk arrest if necessary flooded in. The August 15, 1988 arrests marked a change in American societies view of the homeless and sparked a global movement. The San Francisco Police made over 1,000 arrests for the "crime" of "making a political statement" by sharing food with the hungry in public. Remove the Food Not Bombs banner and literature and provide your meals inside the National Guard Armory on the edge of the city or be arrested on felony conspiracy charges.
Twenty five years after the first arrest the act of showing compassion and effort to encourage the redirection of resources from war to providing for our community is as threatening to the authorities as it was in the summer of 1988. In response to the impact of Occupy Wall Street and other occupations over 50 cities in the United States have banned or passed laws restricting the sharing of food in public. Authorities are currently threatening to stop Food Not Bombs meals in Seattle, Portland, Boulder and Detroit. Yes Detroit, just as the city is filing for bankruptcy and has unimaginable need to feed its hungry the authorities are threatening to arrest Detroit Food Not Bombs.
Hunger and poverty are on the increase yet so is the desire to respond to the crisis. New Food Not Bombs groups form every week. Volunteers from Umuahia, Nigeria and New Paltz, New York asked to have their chapters included on www.foodnotbombs.net today. Activists reported that there are over 100 groups in Indonesia and 30 chapters in the Philippines with the Davao City chapter posting photos of their 13th July 5th anniversary celebration on our Facebook last week. A new chapter started in the southern zone of Mexico City and groups in New Zealand announced their next Really Really Free Market.
The impact of the August 15, 1988 arrests continues to this day having inspired people to start the first wave of Food Not Bombs groups that in turn inspired others to start a chapter in their own communities so that there are volunteers recovering food, cooking vegan meals that they share with the public in over 1,000 cities around the world.
You can join this inspiring movement. The most important thing you can do is start or join an already active Food Not Bombs group in your community. To learn more you can visit www.foodnotbombs.net or call us at 575-770-3377.
You may want to get a copy of our book "Hungry For Peace" to learn more about Food Not Bombs. You could also participate with the Food Not Bombs Free Skool in Taos, New Mexico to gain more experience.
Another great way to make a difference is to invite Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry to speak at your school, cafe, book store or other community space. This is a great way to inspire your friends, family and classmates to join you in taking action.
Another way you can build interest is to invite the Autonomous Play House to perform their puppet show in your community. Their shows are sure to inspire participation in your community organizing efforts.
Finally you can help by contributing to the completion of the Food Not Bombs Free Skool Solar Pump House and support another season of gardening, education and organizing at the school in Taos, New Mexico. Check out the cool video about the construction of the solar pump house. The pump will be powered by a donated solar cell and our showers will be heated by the sun as will the entire building. We intend to complete our fundraising drive by the 25th anniversary of the first arrest of Food Not Bombs on August 15, 2013. Please share this email and ask your family, friends and classmates to support Food Not Bombs.
Thanks so much for your interest.
[signed] Keith McHenry - co-founder of the Food Not Bombs Movement
CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMPLETION OF THE SOLAR PUMP HOUSE BY AUGUST 15, 2013
- Thanks!!! [http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/free-skool-solar-pump-house-taos]
SOLAR PUMP HOUSE PROJECT VIDEO by David Cortez in Taos, New Mexico
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJDCmFIhHS8]
Invite THE SMASHING HUNGER SQUASHING CAPITALISM TOUR with Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry to your community. [http://www.foodnotbombs.net/speaker.html]
THE AUTONOMOUS PLAYHOUSE [http://foodnotbombs.net/autonomous_playhouse_portfolio.php]
THE FOOD NOT BOMBS FREE SKOOL [http://fnb-freeskool.org/free_skool_photos.html]
Food Not Bombs
P.O. Box 424
Arroyo Seco, NM 87514 USA
1-800-884-1136
[www.foodnotbombs.net]
[http://foodnotbombs.net/dollar_for_peace.html]
2012-12-03 "Bring this inspiring presentation by Food Not Bombs cofounder Keith McHenry to your community"
Bring this inspiring presentation by Food Not Bombs cofounder Keith McHenry to your community.
FOOD NOT BOMBS AND THE ELECT TO END HUNGER AND POVERTY TOUR
http://www.foodnotbombs.net/speaker.html
"Hi Keith! It was an honor to meet you tonight! Thank you for your very inspiring talk and all of the work you have done to help people and animals over the years! "
Lesley - UMBC in Catonsville, MD
"I also wanted to say once again thank you for coming to Virginia Tech. The students that made it to your talk absolutely enjoyed it and we met up last week to discuss starting a FNB at VT!! We are meeting again tonight and I will let you know how things go. "
April - Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry will share the story, principles and current activities of the movement including his work with the Sandy Relief effort. Keith will also invite the audience to participate with their local activist groups. This is a great way to inspire participation in your local social justice community.
Most people would elect to end hunger and poverty but many of those elected to political office have another agenda, cutting social services while transferring our tax dollars to wealthy military contractors and their corporate friends. Food prices are increasing as crops fail because of the climate crisis. Oxfam and the UN are reporting that hunger will be on the increase leading to civil unrest and violent police repression. The industrial food system is not only causing millions of animals to suffer but is directly responsible for an increase in hunger and climate change gasses.
Food Not Bombs is responding to the economic, ecological and political crisis by recovering, preparing and sharing vegan meals and groceries with the hungry in nearly 1,000 communities. Food Not Bombs also provides meals at protests and provides literature at their regular meals. Many have expressed that the presentation was an inspiration saying that they were moved to participate in efforts like Food Not Bombs, Food Not Lawns, Homes Not Jails, the Food Not Bombs Free Skool and other exciting projects. Sponsoring student groups also report an increase in participation by those attending the presentation.
Email us at menu@foodnotbombs.net today and schedule a 60 minute presentation on the history, principles, Food Not Bombs work to provide food and supplies to the survivors of Sandy and introduce this summer's Food Not Bombs Free Skool in Taos, New Mexico plus show the 15 minute video about Food Not Bombs in Africa. Keith will also have copies of his new book "HUNGRY FOR PEACE available at each presentation.
FOOD NOT BOMBS
P.O. Box 424
Arroyo Seco, NM 87514 USa
1-800-884-1136
[http://www.foodnotbombs.net/speaker.html]
ASK STUDENT CLUBS ON YOUR CAMPUS TO SPONSOR THE PRESENTATION
[http://www.foodnotbombs.net/steps_to_booking_the_tour_at_schools.html]
THE ELECT TO END HUNGER AND POVERTY TOUR with Food Not bombs co-founder Keith McHenry
[http://www.foodnotbombs.net/speaker.html]
PLEASE SUPPORT THE WINDCALL RESIDENCY SO OTHER ACTIVISTS CAN BENEFIT
[http://www.razoo.com/story/Keith-Mchenry-Fundraising-For-Windcall-13-000-In-130-Hours-For-Resilient-And-Transformative-Organizing]
Please forward to any one that might want to bring this vital presentation to their campus this spring.
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