Join our City Hall sleepover protest

The homeless no-camping ordinance in Fresno will be implemented on Friday. At that time, Fresno Police officers will be authorized to arrest homeless people who sleep on public or private property, effectively criminalizing homelessness. After arrest, homeless people will face a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

This is a pivotal moment in Fresno’s approach to homelessness. How we respond when the authorities come after the homeless and drag them to jail one at a time will say a lot about who we are and what we do when confronted with injustice, intolerance and a city government engaged in immoral conduct that violates basic human rights.

We must not be silent as homeless people (our brothers and sisters) are punished for the crime of being too poor to afford a home. Join me at Fresno City Hall on Friday at 9 p.m. as we stand in solidarity with the homeless.

Bring your sleeping bag and tent as we challenge this immoral law, which if implemented, would direct the police to arrest Jesus Christ himself, if he had the audacity to show up in Fresno.

This story was originally published September 24, 2017 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Join our City Hall sleepover protest."