Two ministers and a 90-year-old homeless advocate in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine for violating a city ordinance that effectively outlaws sharing food with homeless people in public.
Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, head of the group Love Thy Neighbor, has been feeding the homeless for more than 20 years.
Abbott, along with pastors Dwayne Blackand and Mark Sims, were arrested on Sunday after distributing food to the needy on a public sidewalk.
"As contemplated on Sunday, I was arrested for feeding the homeless and received a citation to appear in court," Abbott
explained on Facebook. "However, only 4 people were fed before an officer told me to,
'Drop that plate immediately!' As though it were a weapon I was holding, and to go with him to the police car. After a time I was allowed to get the food back on the van and we were able to find a small churches driveway, where we set up, and fed the people who followed us over."
The city commission voted Oct. 22 in favor of an ordinance that limits where outdoor feeding sites can be located, requires the permission of property owners and says the groups have to provide portable toilets, the
Sun-Sentinel reported. The law took effect last Friday.
The new ordinance is part of a broader effort to deal with homeless people. The city has also made it
illegal to sleep in public places downtown and to
beg for money at major intersections. Commissioner Dean Trantalis
told WLRN he doesn't think the new laws are mean-spirited, citing services the city also provides.
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