[HPN] ALERT San Jose CA: 23 Arrested In Housing Protest At City Council - HUFF FWD - HUFF FWD

[Tom Boland]

FWD  Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom [HUFF]
     309 Cedar St. PMB 14B ñ Santa Cruz, Ca. USA 95060
     (831) 423-HUFF fax (831) 429-8529 e-mail Wmnofstl@cruzio.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 16, 2000

23 ARRESTED AT SAN JOSE CITY HALL
MAYOR GONZALES ORDERS COUNCIL IN RECESS

San Jose, California. -- In its second action of Rev. Scott Wagers' "Poor
People's Campaign" 23 people were arrested in San Jose City Council Chambers
Tuesday evening as they stood before the public microphone, waiting for a
reply from Mayor Ron Gonzales. Announcing they were ready to use the
non-violent, civil disobedience tactics of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the
Community Homeless Alliance Ministry [CHAM] leader led the group in prayer
as Mayor Gonzales and his eight fellow councilmembers declared a recess and
vacated the chamber. They were replaced by 17 policemen, who used
pain-compliance holds on several of the protesters to force them to move.
Nearly 100 supporters showed up of all ages and colors, of all walks of life
to pray and sing in the San Jose Council Chambers as the police led the San
Jose 23 away into custody.

Wagers and the protesters demanded that Gonzales commit himself to immediate
action to address the lack of affordable housing, critical lack of shelter
space and services for the 20,000 homeless people on the streets in Silicon
Valley. Gonzales offered the protesters a downstairs meeting with an aide
and motel vouchers for the night.

Mayor Ron Gonzales was last visited by CHAM congregation members and
supporters on January 26th when the delegation waited fruitlessly for three
hours for the Mayor to appear. Gonzales has steadfastly refused to meet
with, reply to, and agendize any action on affordable housing, in spite of
huge expenditures on gentrification projects.

CHAM has called for the City (1) to immediately provide shelter for all
homeless people on the streets of San Jose; (2) to allocate $5 million to a
housing-for-families program and (3) to establish a realistic long-range
housing policy for the city.

Among those arrested were Adrienne Lawton, Pastor Larry Sweeney, Judith
Light, "Bathrobespierre" Robert Norse, homeless mom Christy Wong, Lennox
Sweeney, Sandy Perry, Nancy Nichols Chase, Roy Stevens, Paul Schusser,
Albert Sandoval, Rev. Scott Wagers and eleven others, including a disabled
man in a wheelchair.

Wagers vowed to return for a third time to City Hall in two or three weeks
in greater numbers if Mayor Ron Gonzales does not act. Accusing the Mayor of
indifference to the San Jose poor, Wagers said there must be a change in the
city's priorities. Resources must be found to meet the needs of those forced
to live on the streets in one of the wealthiest cities in the state. Many
renters also face the specter of eviction because of prohibitive rent
increases and housing speculation. The San Jose Twenty Three were cited for
"disrupting a public meeting" - a misdemeanor carrying penalties of up to 6
months in jail and/or $1000 fine. They were released the same evening on
their promise to appear in court in early March.

Supporters may call the Mayor to urge his support for the CHAM, and the
San Jose Homeless community.

Mayor Ron Gonzales of San Jose, Ca. (408) 277-4237

To call First Christian Church, and Rev. Scott Wagers, (408)345-2353

CHAM (408) 454-0378, Paul Schusser

Low-Income Self-Help Center ph: 408-977-1275 fax: 408-977-1650

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