Below the cut is the full text of the letter the Department of Public Works sent to Occupy SF today, in response to the health inspection yesterday. The camp has been scrambling to comply all day; if they do not comply "in a few hours" (as of this morning), they will be raided with the intent to destroy the camp tonight.
Some of these demands, like clean bathrooms, are reasonable and already in force. Other demands, like no pets, would require evicting at least 20 people. Where do they go on half a day's notice? If they want to stay, do they abandon their pets or turn them over to a shelter? No-kill shelters in SF are rare and overbooked.
The demand for no mattresses or furniture is a sticky one, and seems very broad. Campers are sleeping on cement -- they aren't allowed to sleep on the grass. Now they're not allowed any padding. The city-ordered raids have consistently been a tactical move to deprive campers and OSF organizers of sleep, using the exact same methods that interrogators use to wear down a POW, wielding lack of sleep and high stress conditions to make the prisoner give in to demands.
[Read more: the notice of compliance demands]
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
[word] Today's inspection
I am exhausted, it's 11 pm, I stuck around late to help prepare for the raid. But I know people want to know how today went. So here's what I saw while I was media liaison for the inspection today, 4pm, at camp.
It went okay.
They were happy to see compliance, a sign of continued compliance, and that we're "showing willing," ie, that change has been made and will continue. They seemed to want more things done, considering they honed in on two pieces of cardboard that were still on the ground where someone had just moved out.
The inspector's face was stony, but I think he was just being professional considering a media train of about 50 reporters and camera men were trailing him like a pack of wolves the whole time.
It was a quiet, solemn, nerve-wracking procession. We had people from our contingent -- a few from media and comm, and one senior medic -- answering the inspector's questions. He had a lot of specific, hard questions, and they had good answers.
The campers did a great job. Almost everyone was helpful and respectful, I didn't see any camera-clowning. I saw a lot of the kids jump up and finish up the odds and ends that hadn't gotten cleaned during yesterday and today's big overhaul.
The camp looks more open, orderly, and thinned out. There's more light, less crowding, less feeling that something hidden could be going on somewhere. There's less mud, the Porta Potties don't smell inside (they were inspected).
The kids got up a drum circle with vocalist and dancers at the end of camp, which the media loved.
Kitchen packed up and moved out temporarily, in anticipation of a raid tonight. Instead, we had a wedding-sized feast of Greek casserole-type entrees that were absolutely wonderful. Kitchen was kind enough to shuttle a few chafing dishes to 101 and GA.
Check occupysf.com and @occupysf for up to the minute news.
It went okay.
They were happy to see compliance, a sign of continued compliance, and that we're "showing willing," ie, that change has been made and will continue. They seemed to want more things done, considering they honed in on two pieces of cardboard that were still on the ground where someone had just moved out.
The inspector's face was stony, but I think he was just being professional considering a media train of about 50 reporters and camera men were trailing him like a pack of wolves the whole time.
It was a quiet, solemn, nerve-wracking procession. We had people from our contingent -- a few from media and comm, and one senior medic -- answering the inspector's questions. He had a lot of specific, hard questions, and they had good answers.
The campers did a great job. Almost everyone was helpful and respectful, I didn't see any camera-clowning. I saw a lot of the kids jump up and finish up the odds and ends that hadn't gotten cleaned during yesterday and today's big overhaul.
The camp looks more open, orderly, and thinned out. There's more light, less crowding, less feeling that something hidden could be going on somewhere. There's less mud, the Porta Potties don't smell inside (they were inspected).
The kids got up a drum circle with vocalist and dancers at the end of camp, which the media loved.
Kitchen packed up and moved out temporarily, in anticipation of a raid tonight. Instead, we had a wedding-sized feast of Greek casserole-type entrees that were absolutely wonderful. Kitchen was kind enough to shuttle a few chafing dishes to 101 and GA.
Check occupysf.com and @occupysf for up to the minute news.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
[Pix] Halloween Party @ Occupy San Francisco Sat, 10/29
A lot of protesters showed up to the Saturday afternoon march wearing clever, creative costumes.Click through to the Flickr album to see this day of celebration.
Friday, October 28, 2011
New Donations Needs from the Medical Tent
In addition to the constant need donation requests, these are items for the newest issues:
 |
| Photo credit: drugstore.com |
- Socks, more socks, endless piles of plain white socks for men and women, tube socks and crewe socks.
- Tough actin Tinactin or generic
- Cough Drops
- Hotel sized individual body lotion. For all toiletries, the medics prefer handing out individual sized items, as there's no bathing facility in the med tent.
- (Which is why sanitation items are on the constant needs donation request list)
- Ensure, or generic "Nutritional Shake," or Slimfast (for senior, long-term homeless campers)
- Cold/hot packs, the kind you slap
- Ace bandages
Thursday, October 27, 2011
[Word] [Pix] Occupy San Francisco Campers Not Deterred By All Night Police Threat
Tired, quiet, and insular are three words that describe the mood at the Occupy San Francisco camp at Justin Herman Plaza the day after a day-long siege with police forces.
I didn't see any large projects going up; two sections of the tarped longhouses that are always full of activity were empty of people and equipment. Campers sat in small groups with friends and pets, painting signs, talking, playing music, snacking. Committees went to Starbucks even though the weather wasn't bad; sometimes you just can't hold another meeting on concrete.
[Read more: "So What Happened?"]
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Medical Donation Request Post
After speaking with the nurses at the new medical tent at the Occupy SF camp, I wanted to post their immediate donation requests. The medical tent serves the homeless, and people who have no access to affordable medical care.
These are subject to change. Find out the latest needs at OccupySF.com
Continual Needs:
These are subject to change. Find out the latest needs at OccupySF.com
Continual Needs:
- Baby wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Bar soap
- antifungal spray/powder - lots
- Tongue depressors
- Butcher paper
- socks
- Toothbrushes & toothpaste
- underwear, m/f, var. sizes
- ace bandages
- crutches
- medical tape, all kinds
- latex gloves
- pads & tampons
- condoms
- adult diapers
- gauze pads
- cotton balls
- blankets
- Blood pressure cuff
- Stethescope
- Thermometers
- Glucometers
- Defibrillator
[Word] [Pix] Occupy San Francisco Medical Tent is a Go
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| OSF camp is expanding its community |
There's a great hollowness of spirit when you learn that a 75-year-old homeless woman you know and like is dying of pancreatic cancer; and a certain percentage of American would categorize her as natural selection in action. Pancreatic is a swift and cruel killer -- it's what finally did in Patrick Swayze. But she isn't chaff to be separated, and isn't that so easy to say when you think you're the wheat? She's an African American woman who was born in the 30's, went to college and post-grad, and founded a nonprofit that assisted abused African American mothers.
I don't know why Mrs. Kidd* is sleeping under a tarp, upright in a wheelchair at the Occupy San Francisco permanent live/work camp, but she is living out her days in sickness and pain, and without dignity.
So.
After more than a week of visiting the Occupy San Francisco camp, stories like these are wearing on my soul, so I was elated to see that the medical tent run by the National Association of Nurses was erected today at 9 am.
[Read more below the cut: "We hope everyone visits us."]
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