In Dallas, feeding the homeless is illegal – sharing food with more than 75 people requires permission from the Dallas City Council in the form of a permit and an associated fee. Don’t Comply, a group of Dallas activists, took to the streets just outside the Austin Street Shelter in Dallas to feed the homeless and intentionally defy the arbitrary and ill-conceived law.
According to Brett Sanders, hundreds of homeless enjoyed a fantastic array of food, snacks, and beverages along with an assortment of warm winter clothes donated by Don’t Comply members.
“All of the homeless people that I talked to during the event were extremely grateful for the support and there was a sense of humanity that is indescribable. Interacting with other human beings whom most consider to be living life at rock bottom will likely alter your perspective on the world around you.”
The group hosted their annual Feed the Need event, a simple act of charity, to send the message that feeding the homeless cannot be outlawed. Matthew Short, Don’t Comply’s PR director said:
“We are not complying with a bad law today. Evidently the city of Dallas believes that it’s wrong, or bad, or unlawful for us to feed more than a certain number of people at a time. But, during Christmas, we want to show love to our community and give these people a chance to survive the winter, whether it be with blankets or coats, or just giving them a holiday party like today with all kinds of cookies, and goodies, turkey and dressing, and the whole nine yards.”
Code enforcers did make an appearance and served lead organizer, Murdoch Pizgatti with the city ordinance and asked him to file the necessary paperwork after the event concluded. Pizgatti stated that he had no intentions on filing that paperwork. Further disobedience. Short explained:
“We’ve already had to speak to the police, they’ve already come and delivered code to us. But, after shaking hands with them, they realized we’re all armed – and we’re gonna do what we’re gonna do because it’s not an immoral thing that we are doing.”
When helping the community is considered a revolutionary act, something is horribly wrong. https://t.co/YU875ygXco pic.twitter.com/mFLIXmNzjW
— PolicethePoliceACP (@PolicePoliceACP) December 23, 2015
Illegal humanity: Activists compelled to arm themselves and openly defy Texas law – in order to feed the homeless —https://t.co/kl6W11bx32
— Konstantin Jovich (@KJovich) December 24, 2015
Feeding the homeless has become a revolutionary act… https://t.co/DP7EL59rtG
— American Gun Owner (@usagunowner) December 23, 2015
The look on that homeless mans’ face when I gave him ribs and rolls from Texas Roadhouse and wished him a Merry Christmas was beautiful. ?
— latibule (@_monicabryant) December 23, 2015
This is how you do it… Did you even know it’s illegal to feed homeless people? Crazy isn’t it? Keep thinking… https://t.co/QeaZqHzSi1
— #AllRightsMatter (@SincereSpeaks) December 23, 2015
It is such a shame that people have to jump through hoops to do something as simple as feed and clothe the… https://t.co/jU2IJUIbtL
— Sharon Sloan (@thiskidsthinkin) December 23, 2015
Texas is a tough place to be black, poor, uneducated, a woman, an immigrant, homeless, old, or in need of help… https://t.co/Q22mcvcbhe
— Sheila M Smith (@ssmithcfnp) December 22, 2015
https://t.co/Fh5k4MGl5r It’s a sad state of affairs when feeding the homeless is a right we have to stand up for. #Freedom
— LiberalCatholicGamer (@LibCathlicGamer) December 22, 2015
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what is so difficult about complying with this law??? ridiculous… just anothet group making a big deal out of nothing and making the cops look like the bad guys..
Sue, why should they have to pay a fee to comply ? Who is going to cough up the money to do this. If there was not so much “Red Tape”, fees and hoops to jump through, I am sure they would have got the necessary permit first. No one has made the cops look bad, you are being alarmist…
the law is ridiculous, your subservience to the state is ridiculous, your indifference to the homeless is sickening, your allegience to the jackboots of the corporate state is treasonous.
Only Texas could have laws against feeding the hungry. Fuckin’ conservatives…and Jesus was a Liberal.
thanks to the people who stand up and fight for humanity and this great action