'Food Not Bombs' Willingly Breaks Law To Cook For Orlando Homeless

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Orlando officials are permitted to restrict organizations from giving food to the homeless. But one group says they'll break the law and do it anyway.

The new ordinance says a group can apply for only two free permits a year for "events in the downtown area," according to WFTV.

But Food Not Bombs tells the local news stations it's a form of free speech and they'll continue their commitment to cooking vegan meals for the homeless every Wednesday.

"We're going to do what we feel is right. They need food. Everyone deserves to be fed," Gemma Thacher said.

The court said the decision didn't violate free speech rights because the city didn't completely ban food offerings or restrict expressive actions, the Associated Press reports. The city argued that the restrictions were needed to protect parks and resources.

"The city has a substantial interest in managing park property and spreading the burden of large group feedings throughout a greater area," the ruling said, "and those interests are plainly served by the ordinance."

Once the city starts enforcing the ordinance, members of Food Not Bombs could be fined $500 or spend two months in jail.

Comments

[plaidsportcoat]

06:06 PM on 04/18/2011

Yay FNB rocks and lots of people need to take some legal risks if we want change. civil disobedience = feeding people

[booker52]

03:36 PM on 04/18/2011

Those in power are abusing their position. Shame on them.

[fredvh]

09:13 AM on 04/18/2011

Those in Congress are cutting more and more funding to programs which take care of the poor and homeless. They are telling the masses that charitable groups can take up the slack.
Then the courts rule that the charitable groups can not legally do this.
Isn't this a counter clockwise circle?

[Bob Alberti]

11:03 PM on 04/17/2011

According to the courts money is speech, and you can spend as much money as you wish bribing Congress, but FOOD isn't speech, and you can't feed the poor. Brilliant.

[VerizonCells]

12:10 PM on 04/16/2011

I have supported Food Not Bombs since the 1980's in San Francisco when they feed me and my friends.

[ArmyMedic]

06:42 AM on 04/17/2011

Why is it called "Food Not Bombs"?

[Bob Alberti]

11:05 PM on 04/17/2011

I suspect because they'd prefer we spent our tax money feeding the poor in the United States rather than blowing up the poor overseas. That's just a guess.

[amber15]

02:26 AM on 04/16/2011

wonder how many of these homeless are veterans who fought to protect this country and risk their lives so those bozos can be free?

[Mikdow]

11:09 AM on 04/17/2011

Why is someone a bozo for insisting upon their right to feed the hungry?

[john649]

11:56 AM on 04/17/2011

Orlando officials are permitted to restrict organizations from giving food to the homeless = bozos

[jbrantow]

09:50 PM on 06/02/2011

Orlando officials are worried the tourists might see someone homeless and ruin their vacation. In this land of wealth there should be no one homeless unless it's voluntary. That is the real crime.

[Bob Alberti]

11:06 PM on 04/17/2011

Blah blah blah blah, why don't you let homeless veterans speak for themselves, and you can continue to speak for privilged reactionary authoritarians?

[john649]

01:44 AM on 04/18/2011

you misunderstood the comment - try again.

[PlayTOE]

11:52 PM on 04/15/2011

Any Food not Bombs volunteer or organizer who gets cited should run in the next election, they will win.

[Kane Freeman]

04:46 PM on 04/15/2011

I volunteer at Food Not Bombs every Saturday. It's a fantastic organization, keep up the good fight guys!

[evalela]

01:34 PM on 04/15/2011

It might be a city park,but they bought it with tax payers money and it belongs to us,so let them feed the homeless,who does it hurt????????

[cryingliberty]

12:07 AM on 04/15/2011

The civil disobedience here might mean more in the long run and actually may help promote their cause than it otherwise would have.

This is clearly one of those cases where "if this is the law, then the law is wrong".

Keep rockin' it out, Food Not Bombs. People will wise up eventually.

[Bud Budha]

09:16 PM on 04/14/2011

Why is this an issue? Too many lawyers. We have more law schools than medical schools. More law schools than vet schools. Everything is an issue with some lawyer since too many are out of work so trying to make a buck. If Orlando wants to feed the homeless then please do.

[javajava]

05:50 PM on 04/14/2011

Food Not Bombs fed me when I was on the Streets of San Francisco 20 years ago. The police got tired of citing them. They were steadfast in just offering folks a hot meal and good company. You would think cities would be grateful.

[dimplasm]

11:31 PM on 04/15/2011

But then the cities have to acknowledge that they have people who are homeless.

[fredvh]

09:11 AM on 04/18/2011

i only wish when i was homeless 20 years ago there was an organization like this who fed people here in Iowa.

[tompoe]

05:30 PM on 04/14/2011

The zoo has a more tolerant policy regarding feeding of tazmanian devils than these rabid city council members. Shame on them!

[Yeuk Moy]

02:20 PM on 04/14/2011

First off, I am not a lawyer. However, I think the court erred in its ruling. While it is in the interest of the city to spread the burden fo group feedings thought a greater area, the city has no right to force a private group to feed a large area. The only restriction I can see a city imposing is to make sure the organizers do not leave a mess and (in case of very large crowds) pay for crowd control police.

I would be interested in seeing the appeal.

[Panasit Ch]

02:12 PM on 04/14/2011

"The city has a substantial interest in managing park property and spreading the burden of large group feedings throughout a greater area," the ruling said, "and those interests are plainly served by the ordinance."

You know, homeless are people right? People who fought in the Capitalist society and lost. It's not like everyone is guarantee to win.

It's not even that, I can't believe I will ever hear of a law that restrict people from doing charity, so ridiculous it's only outmatched by the reasoning behind it.

I work as a designer. People will be surprised how much I care about the way a city look. That said, I would be honored to live in a city where so many people would want to volunteer and help the homeless, but I do not want to live in the city where the officials would punish kind hearted people who prevented them from brushing citizens who are inconvenience to them under a rug like some dust bunnies.