Hey People,

HUNDREDS OF HOMELESS PEOPLE SWEPT FROM TRIANGLE. Denver, Colorado.

OCT 29 2018

The cities say they are concerned with "health and safety" - Well so are we. The health and safety of those living on the street and how have no where to go and snow coming tomorrow...

Police and City Officials Pile up to prepare for Sweep

Today, Monday October 29th 2018, hundreds of homeless people - who by definition have no home of their own to live - were swept from the blocks of Lawrence, Park Ave, Broadway, and Arapahoe where they have been gathered together in tents for safety for months. Homeless people have been allowed to live in tents and tarps in this area for months with only scattered police enforcement of the survival ban. Now, out of nowhere, the City suddenly started sweeping people out with no notices. 

Knowing they had to have some new justification for the sweep while in the midst of a class action lawsuit for violating homeless peoples constitutional rights in these sweeps, Mayor Hancock decided to use the department of Public Health and Environment to declare the area "Access Restricted" due to "unsafe public and environmental health conditions."  

The Cities attempt to act like this is about health and safety flips reality on its head. Sweeping people out of their tents, place, and community puts peoples health and safety at risk, not the other way around. Now hundreds of homeless people are wondering the streets trying to figure out where to stay and with what they will protect themselves from the coming snow. 

Just in the last hour 8 people who were swept from these blocks have come to get tents from our Denver Homeless Out Loud office (we are almost out now so please donate more tents!). 

This takes place only a week after the Denver Elections Division announced the Denver Right to Survive Initiative, which would over turn the survival ban and end these sweeps, has made the ballot for May 2019. 

Denver Right to Survive Ballot Initiative
was live. Video# 1 | October 29 at 7:50 AM‎‎ ‎‎

Tent and sidewalk clean in the morning just before the sweep

Denver Right to Survive Ballot Initiative was live.
‎Video#2 | October 29 at 9:23 AM‎‎

This notice was posted on a few post around the area less than 30min before they swept

Denver Right to Survive Ballot Initiative was live.
‎Video#3 | October 29 at 10:01 AM‎‎ ‎‎

THESE SWEEPS MUST END.

Ocober 29, 2018 Plaintiffs File Response to Denver's "Status Report" Regarding the Mass Sweep Today

Plaintiffs File Response to Denver's "Status Report" Regarding the Mass Sweep Today

While currently in a class action lawsuit for these sweeps, the city tried to cover their ass by filing a "Status Report" in the case at 11:56pm, three hours into the sweep when hundreds of people had already been displaced.

Read the response from our lawyers demanding real notice here also Read PDF notice here.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Julie Smith
720-944-1422 - Direct
303-513-6851 - Mobile
Julie.Smith@denvergov.org

DENVER ENCOURAGING PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO SEEK SHELTER AHEAD OF COLD WEATHER FRONT

Supportive services, additional resources remain available as temperatures drop
DENVER – With winter weather moving in, the City and County of Denver and its partners are encouraging people experiencing homelessness to seek shelter rather than trying to brave the elements outdoors. Denver has nearly 2,000 shelter spaces available each night and the ability to leverage the city’s Recreation Centers to serve more in an emergency. On average, 100 to 150 shelter spaces go unused each night.

“As the weather gets colder, it’s critical everyone has a safe, warm place to spend the night,” said Chris Connor, Director, Denver’s Road Home. “We firmly believe people experiencing homelessness are best served indoors, through our network of nonprofit shelter providers, where they can access safe sleeping areas, basic needs support and resources to help them end their episode of homelessness. Our goal is to prevent homelessness when possible and for any experience with homelessness to be brief and nonrecurring.”

READ FULL RELEASE

October 30, 2018

Sweeps Continue to Push Homeless People Around the City With NOWHERE TO GO

Police sweeping people "away" one block from the triangle this morning

Today, October 30, the City sent out masses of police to continue the attempt to sweep homeless people out of sight. After being swept yesterday from the triangle area by Lawrence and Broadway, the 200 plus homeless people living in this area moved to near by surrounding blocks and farther away by the river and other such areas. Today police came at 7am and before to tell people they where violating the survival ban and must move. Now these same hundreds of homeless people are scattered about the city pushing carts trying to find somewhere to rest. All this as snow is about to fall.

The City's two face lie must stop. While they say they are trying to connect people with shelter they take people's shelter away. While they say they are trying to help people be safe, they take people's property and tell them they can't cover themselves in the snow. While they tell people to get a job, they make it impossible to work while they sweep your property on the streets.

Police parked "guarding" the sidewalk from people coming back to sleep

This insanity must end. For the sake of people's humanity and survival.

Call Mayor Hancock and demand he end this 720-865-9000

Camp one block over where many people moved

Denver Homeless Out Loud shared a live video.
Video #4 | October 30 at 9:16 AM

More live feed from the Right to survive folks.. 24 sec in "I'm not moving" We will see...

October 31, 2018

Wednesday morning Police tap still blocks off 5 blocks and 4 police continue to guard the blocks from homeless people trying to sit, much less sleep, all day and night

City Chases Homeless People Around the City in the Cold Rain

On Wednesday October 31, the City continues to push people without housing around the city from place to place. Some people had no tent due to the sweeps of the past two days. Many people were separated from the community due to the sweeps and forced to stay with groups of people they did not know to stay warm. Police harassed people in tents in the blocks near the triangle in the night...but no one took down their tent. As one man said in response to police, "Are you kidding? Sleep in the rain?"

This insanity and inhumanity must end.
Call Mayor Hancock and demand he end this 720-865-9000

November 1, 2018

Man Tells How City Took His Shelter in Sweep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM2odx32rXk

This man had his survival gear taken in the sweep on Monday. He had no idea what was going on when the city came to sweep everyone away. The city took his property with no notice and no communication for how he might get it back.

This is a violation of our fourth and fourteenth amendment rights. And cruel hate against humans without homes in Denver.

On Monday 10/29 after the big sweep, at least 50 people effected by the sweep came to our office in need of survival gear. Within an couple hours we were out of tents. Soon after we ran out of tarps and sleeping bags.

You can donate this badly needed survival gear to Denver Homeless Out Loud by dropping it by our office M-F between 2-5pm at 2260 California st Denver CO 80205.

onward toward the right to survive...

November 2, 2018

People Without Housing Continue to be Swept Around by the City

Three police cars stock encampment of about 20 people this morning down the block from the triangle sweep

Today, Friday Nov 2nd, police continue to push people who were swept form the triangle around the city. Many people moved down the street, have been moved one block father from down town each day this week. Many others have been split apart from their community and are alone in hidden places. Many more have moved far down the river. Out of the at least 200 people swept, the large majority - if not all but 2 or 3 people - have not moved into "services" as the city wanted them to. Instead the sweep that was claimed by the city as a "compassionate act to connect people with services" has left people scrambling and struggling to stay warm and safe.

Tape is down but police still guarding the triangle blocks

This MUST END.