Picnic Protest at City Hall

A protest/no-money yard sale/picnic is scheduled for tomorrow on the Pensacola City Hall lawn, prior to the Pensacola City Council meeting.

“It is a protest, as well as giving away of items—that in and of itself is a protest—but they’ll probably be people there with signs as well,” said Michael Kimbrel, of Food Not Bombs.

The city hall lawn event is being hosted by a collection of organizations—FNB, Sean’s Outpost and several church groups—who are against a number of ordinances the city council appears prepared to pass tomorrow. Critics contend the ordinances “criminalize homelessness.”

The city council is considering ordinances prohibiting ‘camping,’ various activities in public restrooms and public urination and defecation. They are also considering an ordinance prohibiting “aggressive” panhandling, but that measure lags a couple of weeks behind the first three.

Tomorrow’s “really, really free market” is meant to both aid the less fortunate and also serve as a showing of opposition. The event begins around 2 p.m.—with free clothes, shoes and other items available—and includes a pre-council meeting dinner at 4:30 p.m.

“We’re hoping it will get city council members and maybe the mayor’s office to come out and meet some of the people these ordinances will impact,” Kimbrel said.