Dozen arrested for feeding homeless in park

SAN DIEGO — Police officers arrested at least a dozen people for feeding the homeless at an El Cajon city park.

The event was organized Sunday by Break the Ban, a group that formed after the El Cajon City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance prohibiting the distribution of food on any city-owned property.

City officials said the ordinance was a way to protect the public from hepatitis A, but critics have called it a punitive measure to dehumanize and criminalize the homeless.

Mark Lane, one of the event’s organizers, said about 12 to 15 people were passing out food and toiletries to the homeless at Wells Park when police arrived.

About 40 more people, including several lawyers, also were there, but not actively passing out food. Some of those who weren’t behind the foodl-aden tables carried signs that had slogans including “Feeding the hungry is not a crime.”

“It was absolutely necessary to break this law until they were willing to enforce it, and, now that they have, we will continue this fight in court,” said another organizer, Shane Parmely.

Those who were handing out food were given a misdemeanor citation, including a 14-year-old child.

Lane said Break the Ban will continue to organize events to feed the city’s homeless. Sunday’s event was the second hosted by the group. They also have partnered with a second group called Food Not Bombs that has food-sharing events.