Homeless Advocates Protest Outside Mayor Jack Seiler's Home
As reported earlier by New Times, a midmorning protest went on as scheduled outside of the home of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler on Wednesday. About 60 homeless advocates and some homeless people carried signs and chanted outside the home while mounted police guarded Seiler's driveway.photo: Ted Scouten via Twitter
The protest was the latest outcry by advocates who say the city's new ordinance is a violation against homeless people. The new ordinance laid down restrictions on public food sharing, essentially prohibiting feeding the homeless.
Arnold Abbott, a 90-year-old chef who heads the nonprofit Love Thy Neighbor, has already been cited twice by the city and is facing possible jail time.
See also: Group Hunger Strike and Protest at Mayor's House Planned in Opposition to Homeless Laws
The Sun Sentinel reports that protesters lined the street outside of Seiler's home and that police officers gathered in the driveway. At no time did the protest get out of hand, and no arrests were made.
Meanwhile, Seiler has continued his tour of defending the ordinance by appearing on local radio to discuss it and imply that certain homeless advocate groups may be behind Abbott's recent rejection of feeding areas offered by the city.
Seiler was interviewed by Rick Sanchez of WIOD-AM and said that Abbott was offered the Aquatics Complex located at 501 Seabreeze Blvd. as a place where he could give food to the homeless for his weekly Wednesday feedings.
But, Seiler says, Abbott rejected that offer, as well as a space by the Church by the Sea, located at 2700 Mayan Drive.
To that, Seiler says there might be a "larger agenda" behind Abbott turning down the spaces.
"It makes you wonder: Is the issue really feeding homeless, or is there a bigger agenda here?" Seiler told WIOD. He also blamed Food Not Bombs and the Homeless Voice for "hijacking" the outdoor feeding sites where the ordinance is enforced.
Seiler called the protesters by his home "outsiders" and said there were there "to agitate."
Protest outside home of Fort Lauderdale Mayor #JackSeiler re: homeless feeding feud. @CBSMiami @GabyontheGo pic.twitter.com/m28rmO0aQy
— Ted Scouten (@CBS4Ted) November 12, 2014
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