F27 Rally

At the F27 (February 27) rally, Three veterans from H.A.H.A (Homeless Against Homelessness in America) testified at City Council 9:30am Wednesday meeting. H.A.H.A., Right 2 Survive, and Right 2 Dream Too call for the creation of more low cost, self-managed rest areas like Right 2 Dream Too.  We started off at right to dream too marched o city hall with H.A.H.A. leading the way through the street marching and chanting.

Wade Varner gave a pep talk to ralliers before we descended into the city chambers, where the founders of H.A.H.A addressed the council members. While the last person spoke members from Right 2 Survive and Dreamers from Right 2 Dream Too, organizers and dreamers hung shamrock streamers from the balcony. Chanting as they left ”House keys not handcuffs.”  The chambers leaving security to hastily remove to colorful streamers! Hundreds of shamrocks were filled with positive messaging from dreamers that said; Solidarity, community, love, trust, safety, sleep, etc… A large bucket also filled with shamrock messages was delivered to Charlie Hall’s office before we reconvened outside. Lisa Fay MCee’d the speakers; the message was the need for more places like Dignity Village and support for Right 2 dream Too. No one deserves to be without a shelter. Before marching back down to R2DTOO, Wade announced that everyone was welcome to join us there for a hot meal. And a delicious meal it was!

See you all next month Mark you calendars March 20, 2013 Same place Same time. Starting at Right 2 dream too @ 8:30.

Portland Streets A Little Safer

When R2S activist Julie McCurdy found out that a sexual predator, known to prey on homeless women and sex workers, was on the loose – she jumped into action,  organizing foot patrols to inform unhoused community members.

We are happy to report that Ronald Tarwater has been apprehended.  Thanks to everyone who participated in the foot patrols and donated to buy whistles.  We celebrate this small victory – though we know that the streets are still very unsafe for women, men and children who have no safe place to call home.

R2S continues to organize for the right to shelter, the right to sleep, the right to safety, and the right to self support!  Please join us in our efforts to decriminalize survival activities & to prioritize human needs in our city.

Contribute with your skills, talents, materials or money!!!!

Sexual Assaults on Houseless Women Happening in Inner Southeast Neighborhoods

Civilian Foot Patrols Are Forming, and Whistles Are Being Distributed

It has been reported to us — and it is being widely talked about among the homeless — that at least three women in the last week have been raped while attempting to sleep alone – all within the St. Francis neighborhood in inner Southeast. Two have been assaulted on the east side not far from St. Francis, most recently on Sunday night (Nov. 30).  Another woman was assaulted around Thanksgiving Day under the Burnside Bridge on the west side.

Right 2 Survive is distributing whistles to women and other vulnerable people in the area.

If anyone would like a whistle, you can get one from Julie, who is regularly at  St. Francis Dining Hall (SE 11th & Oak) at dinner time (4 to 6 pm), or call Laura at 503-875-0425, and we will get you a whistle ASAP.

We are also encouraging all allies to patrol these areas at night with eyes and ears open to any assaults – and especially listen for whistles (many already distributed). Organized patrols will soon begin meeting nightly at the Red & Black, with the plan being to walk the east side — Hawthorne to Burnside, 12th Ave to the River — to help protect against sexual assaults.

The Danger of Victimized Twice (by police or the rapist) If You Tell

Many women  who are victims of assault are reluctant to go to police, because Portland’s police have a reputation for not seriously dealing with assault complaints from the homeless. In fact they often treat homeless women as though they did something to ‘deserve it.’  This is often referred to as being “victimized twice.”

Sometimes when a woman tells the police or a reporting agency about a rape, little comes of the complaint. People who are houseless are often not taken as seriously as those  with houses and perhaps attorneys. What happens when police do nothing or when a court fails to keep a rapist locked up? Retaliation is a very real danger. The best plan is prevention. The best plan for un-sheltered women under assault is to camp together, or otherwise occupy otherwise vacant safe spaces. With or without a government permission, this is instinctive, and prudent in light of City Council’s inaction. This is our right to survive.

The current anti-camping law keeps people from banding together easily for mutual protection.

The City has been unwilling so far to offer any public areas for organized camping — or to legally allow property owners or churches to permit campers on site. In Seattle and in cities across the U.S., this is how houseless people usually manage (as best they can) to stay safe – by camping in tent groups in larger numbers together, and watching over each other. Where numbers of homeless campers have attempted to congregate here in Portland, police have been aggressive in breaking up the ‘camp.’

E-mail us at R2SPdx@gmail.com with your ideas about where and how people can camp and squat safely! We each have a right to safety! If government will not care for us, we can and will band together and care for ourselves.

Right 2 Survive of Pdx is Working to Secure the Rights of Homeless and Disenfranchised People

Ain’t no denying we each have…

a RIGHT 2 Survive
a right 2 sleep
a right 2 shelter
a right 2 safety
a right 2 self support
a right 2 sustainability
a right 2 subsist
a right 2 simple living
a right 2 share and barter
a right 2 sit and lie
and
a right 2 say so.

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or write to us at  R2Spdx@gmail.com

a Right to Shelter