Don’t listen to police Chief Hollow-heart, be sure to give your homeless neighbors cash, food or whatever else they may need if you’re able to. Instead of providing labor & resources to Big Charity, check out some of the amazing local mutual aid groups like Progressive People's Action of Pinellas and St. Pete Food Not Bombs to see how you can get involved.

Back in April, the ACLU of Florida sent Mayor Ken Welch & the city government a warning about the unconstitutionality of St. Pete's anti-panhandling law. 

This week, council member Ed Montanari doubled down on his support of the ordinance during the police department's quarterly report presentation, asking Chief Holloway if he’d directed more enforcement of the ordinance, to which the chief replied “Yes, sir”.  

Notice how the administration & some members of council are unwilling to move forward with rent control & other tenant protections due to legal challenges, but will happily take on the risk of lawsuits to defend an inhumane ordinance which turns our homeless neighbors into criminals for simply asking for a couple bucks. 

Our government is *supposed* to be “of the people, by the people, for the people”, so what’s really happening here? 

While massive inflation & an unprecedented housing emergency ravage working people in the Sunshine City, the politicians are bolstering the police to violently suppress the consequences of a failing economy instead of addressing the root of the problem by serving the needs of the people directly. Instead of providing housing, more good paying jobs with benefits & access to vital resources, the city would rather allow corporations & developers free rein to gentrify St. Pete while using the cops to strong-arm people who don’t fit in with this new playground for the rich. 

The truth is that if the city enacted rent control, strong tenant protections or a robust public housing program with a housing guarantee for all, this would directly threaten the profits of landlords & developers who maintain their stranglehold on our Democracy through huge campaign contributions. This is the reason these politicians continue to fail us, because they don’t actually serve or represent our interests as working people. It’s not a matter of Republican vs Democrat, morality or rationality — it is the needs of the corporate & business elite taking priority over the needs of the working class majority! 

However, the situation is NOT hopeless.

The power of tenants & workers united is stronger than any puppet politician or corporate parasite which stands in our way. We pay the rents, we work the jobs. Together we keep this city running & together we can shut it down! 

Let’s continue to struggle together, care for one another, organize & inspire each other! Let’s continue to educate our friends, family, neighbors & co-workers about what’s at stake and what it’s gonna take to permanently liberate all of us from the shackles of economic servitude & suffering. 

We have a city to win, we have a world to win! 

✊All power to the Tenants🔥

✊All power to the Homeless🔥

✊All power to the Workers🔥

✊All power to the People🔥

Be sure to join us for a protest to tell the city to FUND THE PEOPLE, NOT POLICE! 

📅WEDNESDAY, May 25th 

⏰6:00 PM 

📍City Hall, 175 5th St. N.