1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Previously on the Whedian House. 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 2: The Sidewalk School has worked with the unhoused population for 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 2: six years straight. But it's very specific because we work 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 2: with immigrants on the Mexico side who live inside of encampments. 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: And I'm gonna be honest with THEA. When you contacted 6 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 2: me about working with the unhoused population, I never put 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 2: it in that context, even though I've worked in eleven encampments. 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: I guess because it is immigration and it's somehow seems 9 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: separate from me for some reason, but it's not. It's 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 2: the same thing and the community built within the encampment. 11 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: It's like a small city or town that comes together 12 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 2: to protect each other and help each other. 13 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 3: Welcome to Weedian House. I'm your host, Theo Henderson. We 14 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 3: have a lot of information to go through this episode, 15 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 3: so hang tight and let's jump in. 16 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: First fun house. 17 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 3: News in case you missed it, We that is, our country, 18 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 3: are in the midst of a shutdown snap benefits will 19 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 3: be cut on Saturday, November one, twenty twenty five. 20 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: Nationwide. 21 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 3: Millions of people will be impacted housing unhoused. Mainstream reporting 22 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 3: gives a good accounting of how house people will be affected. 23 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: This is from ABC News. 24 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 4: So alexis, how big is the impact here? 25 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 2: If Snap benefits run out? 26 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 5: It could be devastating. In fact, I saw this one 27 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 5: quote from the CEO of Hunger Free America. He says, 28 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 5: we would have the greatest hunger catastrophee in this country 29 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 5: since the Great Depression. When you look at the sheer numbers, Diane, 30 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 5: about forty two million people on SNAP benefits formerly known 31 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 5: as food stamps. More than sixty two percent of those 32 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 5: live in households with children. Thirty seven percent include older adults, 33 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 5: people with disabilities, veterans, and a misconception here is that 34 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 5: people on SNAP benefits don't work. A large number of 35 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 5: them do their families that go out to work and 36 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 5: try to make ends meet. 37 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: Language matters here. 38 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 3: How you phrase things can include or exclude a group 39 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 3: of people. When the reporter mentions that forty one to 40 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 3: forty two million people receives not benefits, there is poor 41 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 3: data collections for the unhoused community. In realer terms, theon 42 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 3: house community will fall off the tracks. Early last week, 43 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 3: scores of federal workers were in. 44 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: Food bank lines. 45 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 3: These people work for a Livings continue to skyrocket under 46 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 3: Donald Trump's regime This too impacts the unhoused community because 47 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 3: of added difficulties of using stoves and other appliances to 48 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 3: store their perishables. In addition to this, with the city's 49 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 3: constant raids and Trump's executive order on removing and erasing 50 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 3: the unhoused existence, it makes the unhoused ability to obtain 51 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 3: and use SNAP benefits more difficult. Did you know that 52 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 3: in twenty twenty four, thirteen point six percent of California's 53 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 3: population received SNAP benefits. The question at our feet now 54 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 3: is how long will the poor house or housed endure 55 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 3: vist if you lost your STAP benefits in the Los 56 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 3: Angeles area and nar seeking mutual aid. Check out some 57 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 3: of the links in the description of this episode. Our 58 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 3: last story passed guests, Jesse Ross of IDHA in New York, 59 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 3: gave us insightful information on what it means to decarceerate Care. 60 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: On Wednesday, November fifth, twenty twenty five, from six pm 61 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 3: to eight pm Eastern Time, their tenth installment of idha's 62 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 3: Decarcerated Care will be online. Conversation topics will include mental health, liberation, housing, justice, abolition, 63 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 3: and beyond. In addition to this, a renewed conversation on 64 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 3: state sanctioned violence against mad, disabled and unhoused communities. A 65 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 3: guiding question is what will it take to take police 66 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 3: out of mental health crisis responses and advanced true community 67 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 3: based care. If you like to join, the link is 68 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 3: in the description of this episode, and that's on House News. 69 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 3: When we come back, we're going to a tend a 70 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 3: press conference dealing with the increased raids against one encampment 71 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 3: in Los Angeles. 72 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Whittian House. I'm THEO Henderson. 73 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 3: Today I'm taking you to a press conference that happened 74 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 3: in the aftermath of a brutal police raid. Raids have 75 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 3: become a constant subject of discussion in the last six 76 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 3: months as the Trump regime has weaponized ice to attack 77 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 3: and kidnap entire communities. 78 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: Raids that we see live. 79 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 3: On television, But there are other raids that happen every 80 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 3: day in our communities. One that have become so normalized 81 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 3: to house people that they don't even think of them 82 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 3: as such. These raids are against the in house, both 83 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 3: as individuals or as encampments of people. Make no mistake, 84 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 3: Even as so many have become desensitized to officials and 85 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 3: police at every level, displacing and attacking the un housed. 86 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 3: These are very much raids, they're just not raised that 87 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 3: are addressed in the mainstream. That brings us to this 88 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 3: week's story. A few weeks ago, I was informed of 89 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 3: a raid of this nature that happened at an encampment 90 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 3: not too far outside of my neighborhood, and organized reached 91 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 3: out and invited me to a press conference called by 92 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 3: the Young House residents of the encampment that had been intact. 93 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 3: I was fortunate to get their stories on record and 94 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 3: be educated on the actions or inactions of their city 95 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 3: council person, Unices Hernandez. On the campaign trail, Unices presented 96 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 3: herself as different from incumbent council person yos Dio, who 97 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 3: embraced police action against the N House community. He voted 98 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 3: for forty one to eighteen to be put into effect, 99 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 3: which made it illegal for the n House to sit, sleep, 100 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 3: or lie on public land. Unicis Student part A DSA 101 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 3: endorsed candidate because of her stance of wanting to repeal 102 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 3: forty one to eighteen and not to use it as 103 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 3: a cudgel to displace the end House community in her district. 104 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 3: I don't want to give away the plot, but let's 105 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 3: just say that Unsses hasn't exactly hold up her campaign promises. 106 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 3: Here are the residents accounts of the raid conducted by 107 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 3: the LAPD in late October and their feelings on their 108 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 3: city council person's failure to show up. Good morning. This 109 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 3: is Ceo Henderson from Weedy at House. This episode is 110 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 3: out in the field and I must warn our listeners 111 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 3: on there's going to be some environmental challenges because we 112 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 3: are where we are. Today's a press conference for context, 113 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 3: and this is a statement to the council person at large. 114 00:07:55,720 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 3: Today unices Hernandez and their lack of action or taking 115 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 3: a stance to help the unhoused community. Many of the 116 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 3: unhoused community members are trying to get her attention in 117 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 3: order for them to slow down or stop the hostility 118 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 3: of the city of trying to displace the onnhouse people. 119 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 3: I hope to interview a few of the residents as 120 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 3: well as given update two. Some of the un housed 121 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 3: and some of the protesters arrived earlier in the evening 122 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 3: of yesterday and they were arrested. I was just informed, 123 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 3: to put this more bluntly and put this more in perspective, 124 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 3: we have two different worlds or two different Americas going 125 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 3: on right now. We have the obsious displacement and force 126 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:44,079 Speaker 3: removal of people just minding their business and knowing about 127 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 3: the business of their day, or going to courthouses and 128 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 3: trying to be the legal citizen, and which feeds into 129 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 3: the narrative of worthy or unworthy, poor or worthy and 130 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 3: unworthy people that they should be here, and it creates 131 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 3: this dichotomy that makes it so that when you see 132 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 3: people that are getting accosted or arrested, then this brings 133 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 3: out the judgment of they deserve what they got, and 134 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 3: that is no different with the in the House community. 135 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 3: We have members in all our communities, in our intersections thatspective, 136 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:23,479 Speaker 3: pursue that kind of ideology in order to distance themselves 137 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 3: from the horrors of capitalism, horrors of supremacy, white supremacy, 138 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:41,079 Speaker 3: the horrors of police brutality, the horrors of us versus them. 139 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 3: To bridge the listener into the press conference, allow me 140 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 3: just at the stage. The conference took place in front 141 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 3: of one of Union's Hernandez Council offices, wherever the in 142 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 3: house community provided a list of demands and the effects 143 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 3: on their community they had endured as a result of 144 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 3: this raid. 145 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: Their demands are as follows. I was handed a. 146 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 3: Demand letter or a letter of attention to Council Member 147 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 3: Eunice's Hernandez eric Ares and the Council one team, and 148 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 3: it says the sweepyard office ordered on Thursday, October ninth, 149 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 3: has caused devastating and ongoing harm to every person who 150 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 3: is living at the Mountain View and Beverly encampment in 151 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 3: your district. Cops arrived before six am, more than an 152 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 3: hour prior to the sweep and slash tents, dragging people 153 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 3: into the street. Cops violently zip tie, photographed, and fingerprinted 154 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 3: every person at the encampment, including people living in nearby 155 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 3: shelters who came to help friends move their belongings in 156 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 3: advance of your sweep. Everyone was cited with Los Angeles 157 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 3: Municipal Code forty one eighteen, the city law that criminalizes sitting, lying, 158 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 3: or having personal belongings in public spaces, full of the 159 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 3: crime of being poor in public lapd barred from returning 160 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,559 Speaker 3: to the tents to retrieve belongings until minutes before your 161 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 3: sweep began. Everyone grabbed what they could carry before being 162 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 3: abruptly chased out. Your sweep destroyed every single tent, leaving 163 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 3: every person at the encampment without shelter, even as our 164 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 3: city facius flash floods warnings this week, Eric Aris, you 165 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 3: refuse to commit to providing anything to anyone when the 166 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 3: encampment asked to speak with you about shelter and housing options. 167 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: Und not offer services. 168 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 3: Replacement tents, hope, with citation, or even an apology for 169 00:11:55,480 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 3: the brutality and trauma everyone experienced simply because they are 170 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 3: too poor to. 171 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 1: Have a home, and not for a lack of trying. 172 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 3: The Mountain View community publicly issue demands about housing to 173 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 3: council Member Hernandez in May of this year, your office 174 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 3: has failed to provide it. Last month, a woman from 175 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 3: the Mountain View Encampment tearfully recounted to you how a 176 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 3: cop repeatedly sexually harassed and assaulted her at your August sleep. 177 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 3: You consoled her, but that same predator cop again oversaw 178 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 3: your sleep on Thursday and will continue for future sweep. 179 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 3: To you order, you do not get to wash your 180 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 3: hands of this your sweep bring this sexual predator in 181 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 3: contact with this woman. He has repeatedly targeted. You have 182 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 3: a moral obligation to put an end to this. When 183 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 3: another woman was rutalized by a different cop on Thursday, 184 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 3: she pleaded with him to stop hurting her, explaining that 185 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 3: he was triggering a Homer response related to her surviving 186 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 3: domestic violence. The cop continued to manhander her anyway, this 187 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 3: is the type of brutality or that it occurs at 188 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 3: your sweeps. 189 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: You've been made aware of it. This is unacceptable. 190 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 3: When you sweep an encampment, you create permission structure for 191 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 3: cops and nimbis to threaten further displaced and inflict violence 192 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 3: on your poorest constituents. On Friday, the day after your sweep, 193 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 3: people working at the auto shop behind the encampment hurled 194 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 3: car bumpers and other depris as people living on the sidewalk. Later, 195 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 3: cops raided the encampment again in the middle of the night, 196 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 3: chasing everyone, including elderly and disabled people, across Beverly Boulevard 197 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 3: into Council Member Hugo Soda Martinez district Sinceria settling across 198 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,719 Speaker 3: the street. The neighbors and the same cops who brutalized 199 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 3: them at your sweep. On Sunday, a house person in 200 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 3: Alexis told the encamp meant that he has violent tendencies 201 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 3: and threatened to return to set the encampment on fire. 202 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 3: Cops constantly drive up and down the block, threatening this 203 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 3: community and vowing to continue displacing them. This is not 204 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 3: what care looks like. This is certainly not what abolition 205 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 3: looks like. Now is the time for action. Your silence 206 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 3: and complacency will no longer be tolerated. Over the past 207 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 3: few days, the Mountain View community has updated their demands. 208 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 3: We demand permanent housing. That's number one. Number two is 209 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 3: permanent housing is an available. We demand shelter with our 210 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 3: own private space, our own bathroom, quality meals, and mental 211 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 3: health services. Number three put offers of housing and shelter 212 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 3: in writing. Number four, we demand access to a private 213 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 3: PO box so that we can have a mailing address 214 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 3: for employment, be able to do our taxes, and receive 215 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 3: personal documents like ID disability checks and Social Security cards. 216 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 3: Five move reporter party on Mountain View to where we 217 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 3: were forced to relocate. 218 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: Some of us are old and it is hard to 219 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: walk that far. 220 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 3: Number six we demand that the council member fight to 221 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 3: get our forty one to eighteen tickets expunged number seven. 222 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 3: We demand that the council member fight to get rid 223 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 3: of this law and stop cops from threatening us. It's 224 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 3: been NonStop since this week. Council Member Hernandez, you are 225 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 3: one of the most powerful politicians. 226 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: In the second largest city in the United States. 227 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:55,479 Speaker 3: Meet the Mountain views, communities demands, fulfill your campaign promises 228 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 3: and your violence sweeps, and fight back at against the 229 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 3: criminalization of poverty. In July twenty twenty one, you posted 230 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 3: forty one eighteen is not going to solve the crisis 231 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 3: we're in. 232 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: It's just sweep. 233 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 3: Sit under the rug, out of sight, out of mind 234 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 3: for the council. Now that you have the power to 235 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 3: meaningfully reduce forty one eighteen enforcement, you and your team 236 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 3: have failed to take action, leading to cops sighting, arresting, 237 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 3: and forcibly displacing hundreds, if not thousands, of your poorest constituents. 238 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 3: Councilmember Hernandez, you have voted against new forty one eighteen 239 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 3: zones and other council members districts, yet refuse to take 240 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 3: action in your own. Your complacency led to forty one 241 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 3: eighteen arrests skyrocketing three hundred and twenty nine percent and 242 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 3: Council District I during your first two years in office, 243 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:05,360 Speaker 3: according to data complied on LACD Controller Kenneth Mahea's website. 244 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 3: Instead of repealing the same forty one eighteen enforcement zones 245 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 3: that you loudly criticize your predecessor guilts of deal for 246 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 3: passing through city council, you look the other way while 247 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 3: comps increasingly criminalize the poorest people you represent. You seem 248 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 3: to have lost touch with your organizing roots, so let 249 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 3: us remind you. When you order sweeps, you betray the 250 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 3: promises you may before taking office. When you order sweeps, 251 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 3: you destroy documents, life saving medicine, clothes, blankets, people's shelter, 252 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 3: family photos, two's used for work, and so much more. 253 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 3: When you order sweeps, you needlessly put predatory cops in 254 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 3: direct contact with vulnerable people. When you order sweeps, you 255 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 3: make it harder for people to connect with medical care 256 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 3: services and ouss. When you order sweeps, you remove organizers 257 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 3: from community controls that work to save people from ice 258 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 3: and DHS cadnappings. 259 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: You have broken trust. 260 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 3: The sweeps that you order have been a horrific and 261 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 3: required monitoring from people who will hold you accountable. 262 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: Stop cowering, stop. 263 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 3: Sweeping the crisis in your district under the rugs, Start 264 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 3: wielding your power. Meet the Mountain View community's demands and sweeps, 265 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 3: and start fighting. 266 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: Back against forty one to eighteen. We will make sure 267 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: everyone's watching signed the mountain View. 268 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 3: Community when we come back more Freman House residents and 269 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 3: activists at the press conference, Welcome back to Wiedian House. 270 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 3: I'm Theo Henderson. Let's return to the press conference. After 271 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 3: the community announced their demands of councilperson Fernandez, I got 272 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 3: a chance to speak with residents and activist about what 273 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 3: happens next. First, I spoke with a mutual organizer by 274 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 3: the name of M about their work. 275 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 6: My name is M. 276 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: And what organization you represent? 277 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 6: All Power Free Clinic? Okay, what do you do? All 278 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 6: Power Free Clinic is a medical mutuoid efforts that seeks 279 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 6: to support health by the people for the people, especially 280 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 6: around a house, neighbors, folks living outside, anyone who's living 281 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 6: under the threat of save violence. 282 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: So you help a lot of out the House community members, right. 283 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 6: We do. Yeah, we're out every week with working with 284 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,920 Speaker 6: Mutual Aid Efforts in Los Angeles and supporting with medical care. 285 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 3: Were you helping the community that's being impacted today's attack 286 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 3: are targeted by the Copson City Council. 287 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 6: Yes, we helped provide them with medical supplies. A lot 288 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 6: of them are taking care of each other and we 289 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 6: were just making sure that they had what they needed 290 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 6: to do that. 291 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: What happens when you have your work disrupted? 292 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 3: Because I suspect if you have many people displaced, they're 293 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 3: running around, does this make you work a little more 294 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 3: easier or what's going No to. 295 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 6: Be frank, every time it's something like this happens, we 296 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 6: all are nervous. Could we know that these things kill people? 297 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 6: Every sweep is a potential murder. People lose their support, 298 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 6: we can't follow with people, They lose their ability to 299 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 6: check off on each other. And I think it's always 300 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 6: really scary. So you never know how you're going to 301 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 6: find people again. So it makes our work incredibly challenging. 302 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 6: A lot of progress that we build up we over weeks, 303 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 6: over months, helping people keeal wounds, get back on medications, 304 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 6: all that is kind of thrown away when something like 305 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 6: this happens. 306 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: And for what. 307 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 3: If there's a message that you wish to send to 308 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 3: the counsel of person. What would that message be. 309 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 6: I would say that displacement and criminalization actions that are 310 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 6: created by laws like forty one eighteen are never going 311 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 6: to lead to the health of the people. And if 312 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 6: that's something that this council number takes seriously, if she's 313 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 6: really invested in and showing that all of her residents 314 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 6: and neighbors and constituents are healthy, then she overdo whatever 315 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 6: she can to appeal these laws. How has a progress 316 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 6: that's been so far in your estimation dismal? 317 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I unheard that she's she's been turning down or 318 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 3: speaking out against forty one to eighteen and other council 319 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 3: people's district, but has remained silent. 320 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: Is this correct? 321 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 6: This is correct, and it just shows I think the 322 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 6: hypocrisy right which it's within her power to do exactly 323 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 6: what the Mountain you and Beverly Kim Gammitt is asking 324 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 6: her to do, and so we're waiting to see what 325 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 6: she'll do. I think actions speak louder than words. 326 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 3: Absolutely. What is the next steps after this conversation and 327 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 3: press conference? What do you guys have plan on doing 328 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 3: next after this? 329 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 6: I think we'll continue to do what we always do 330 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 6: is helping people stay alive, take care of each other. 331 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 6: I think the encampment is going to continue to put 332 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 6: pressure and do what they need to do to ensure 333 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 6: that the demands are met, and I hope that the 334 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,640 Speaker 6: broader Los Angeles community is here in solidarity with them. 335 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 3: Do you see a similarity into the behaviors that's going 336 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,120 Speaker 3: on right now with ICE and LA City. 337 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 6: Absolutely. I think something that we became really clear to 338 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 6: us in the last couple of months is that every 339 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:54,880 Speaker 6: forty one teen operation insight safe operation is also a raid. 340 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,160 Speaker 6: I think it's really important to use that language. These 341 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 6: are often kidnappings, arrest without charges, arrest without with my 342 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 6: unidentified officers rowing up and expecting people to listen to 343 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 6: what they do. People don't know where they're going. I 344 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 6: think there's a lot of similarities, and I think ICE 345 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 6: has been horrible and violent and atrocious, and it's hopefully 346 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 6: really building a conscious among people in Los Angeles. But 347 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:16,879 Speaker 6: I want to be really clear that this has been 348 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 6: going on for years. You know that many people know 349 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:21,400 Speaker 6: that they've been living under this type of kidnapping. 350 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: And it didn't take Donald Trump to put a lack 351 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: of fire. 352 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 6: Did no now the fire has been set and honestly, 353 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 6: on house people have been the wood used to burn 354 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 6: the fire. 355 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 3: Thanks so much to him for their account and for 356 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 3: showing up for the young House community. You can follow 357 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 3: the All Power Free clinic at the link in the description. Next, 358 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 3: I spoke to encampment resident Nelson on how the raids 359 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 3: impacted him and how he became on house. What's the 360 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 3: purpose of today's meeting for housing? What is precipitating you 361 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 3: guys making this urgent and mad the. 362 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 7: Abuse we begained regarding for the weight of housing abuse 363 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 7: from cops, getting raided, getting our property taken away. I 364 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 7: had a trait told all my property, all my tools, 365 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 7: everything I have, just taking away like nothing. 366 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 3: You mentioned tools are what do you do construction or something? 367 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 3: I'm a handyman and that helps you for your survivor correct? Correct, 368 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,719 Speaker 3: Let's be back up. I didn't introduce who you are. 369 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 3: What's your day, Nelson Medow School. How long have you 370 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,200 Speaker 3: been out here living in the streets. 371 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 8: Since twenty nineteen or twenty nineteen? 372 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:49,640 Speaker 2: Yeah? 373 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 1: How did you end up getting out here? 374 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 7: In two nineteen, I got evicted from where I was 375 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 7: living due to the fact that my partner at that 376 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 7: time went through some health issues. She ended up reading 377 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:11,639 Speaker 7: to her country and me by myself. I, you know, 378 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 7: couldn't keep up with the payments, couldn't keep up with 379 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 7: the bills, car notes, you know, et cetera, et cetera. 380 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 7: They need food, transportation, and you know that made me 381 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 7: end up in the street. 382 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 3: Have anyone reached out to offer services to help you 383 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 3: get you back on your feet. 384 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 7: Yeah, until this last two years, I've been working with 385 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 7: Homeless health Care Center. But before that, you know, I 386 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 7: tried many places and never got an answer. I started 387 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 7: living in my car. Then I lost my car, ended 388 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 7: up you know, being in a tent. 389 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. 390 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 7: I've been getting help here and there from organizations like Locks, 391 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 7: Homeless Healthcare Center and you know others, and that's you know, 392 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 7: we're taking it from there. 393 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 3: The issues that's going on now with the police and 394 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 3: Eunice is Hernandez. How did this start to intensify? 395 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 7: It started with the police rading. He asked everybody to 396 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 7: come out. Boy, they actually didn't ask. They were just 397 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,680 Speaker 7: you know, kicking everybody out, ripping tents, whatnot, just to 398 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 7: get everybody out. 399 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 8: My encounter was. 400 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 7: Getting a little bit more than physical while getting detained. 401 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 7: You know, I thought it was a riot when it 402 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 7: was supposed to be a sweep or a street cleaning. 403 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,400 Speaker 7: My understanding to a street cleaning, as you know, one 404 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 7: officer or one patrol unit for the whole situation. But 405 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 7: we got about forty cops at five in the morning, 406 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 7: you know, just being harassed, being treated like a I 407 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 7: don't know, like we're really doing some type of crime. 408 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 8: We got a zip tight to the back of our 409 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:58,920 Speaker 8: hands and taken to a corner. 410 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 7: You know, they continue doing their info information, trying to 411 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 7: check everybody out where had a warrant. 412 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 8: They took them. 413 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: Uh, they were. 414 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 7: Gonna take me, but then all of a sudden they 415 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 7: released me. So I didn't understand why after that, you know, 416 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 7: six point thirty was sweeping for the city and we 417 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 7: didn't have time to pick up whatever we have. I 418 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 7: have most of my belongings on the trader. I had 419 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 7: the missing wheels. They told me, yeah, get the missing 420 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 7: wheels or get some help or somebody to take that take. 421 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 8: That trader out. 422 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 7: But what they did was more work because they went 423 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 7: through my trader, threw everything out, my tools, my clothing, 424 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 7: My daddy is my daddy, belonging things and two that 425 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 7: I needed for work or whatnot, and so that created 426 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 7: more time taking away. I had fifteen minutes to get 427 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 7: somebody to pick up my trader, which he came maybe 428 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 7: twenty minutes, and then they say, you know what, too late, 429 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 7: it's gonna get told. I think it was more mostly 430 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 7: for a personal issue or just you know, Okay, I'm 431 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 7: a mess with this guy. And that's how I feel 432 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 7: because they told me yes at one point, didn't tell 433 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 7: me no. Now now I have nothing. All I had 434 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,880 Speaker 7: was just the clothing on my on myself, no tense, 435 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 7: no nothing, but you know, the homeless, the organizations that 436 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 7: helped me, and they got us some tent. 437 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 8: So that's how I started again. 438 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 3: One of the questions I would have asked, because I 439 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 3: don't know if you've been seeing this is going on 440 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 3: as well as with the ice raids. Have you noticed 441 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 3: that there are Is there any difference between the LA 442 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 3: City coming in and sweeping you and the LA the 443 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 3: ice raates? Do you see Are they coming into your 444 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:57,160 Speaker 3: en campus as well? 445 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 7: No, I haven't seen ice and encampments, but their presence 446 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:07,480 Speaker 7: is pretty pretty well known. They're they're around here. So 447 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 7: the way they do. 448 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 8: It is just similar. I bey reave, just snatch and 449 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 8: grabs and let's go. 450 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 3: Are you worried that high school run up on you 451 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 3: if you have, if they are taking your things and 452 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 3: taking leaving you with only your clothes on your back, 453 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 3: are you worried that they are going to be able 454 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 3: to be targeted easier? 455 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 8: No, I'm not worried about ice. Why not Wan citizens? 456 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: They are taking people that are sisztens to. 457 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 7: Yeah, No, I'm still not worried about that. You know, 458 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 7: I mean where else supposed to take me? If I 459 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 7: don't know, nobody else gone anywhere else? 460 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: Thanks so much to Nelson. 461 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 3: Another community member, Yeah Bro brings the ring about them 462 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 3: to city and her lived experience. 463 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: Here's her story. What's your name, Deborah Williams, Debra? How 464 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: long have you been living in your car? 465 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 4: Since way back whenny playing three? 466 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: My first time? How did you get started living in 467 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: your car? 468 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 9: The thing is I filed for because everybody lost their 469 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 9: job because of the COVID. Right then there's the EULA program. 470 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 9: I filed for the EULA program. But then my landlord, 471 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 9: you know, kind of like ignored the EULA. 472 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 6: I was approved. 473 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,320 Speaker 9: Ready, she just needs to like, you know, sign everything 474 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 9: approved it the landlord, but she didn't. Then I tried 475 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 9: to get help from the county for legal aid, but 476 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 9: there's too busy, you know. 477 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,720 Speaker 4: So I wasn't able to get help and I got divicted. 478 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: I'm sorry to hear that. So what is the hardest 479 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: thing about living in your car? 480 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 4: Well, of course, no sleep the hardest part. And I 481 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 4: have a dog with me. 482 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 9: Easy to get a job, but the thing is it's 483 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 9: hard to where I'm going to put my dog. I 484 00:29:57,640 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 9: can't lock Lerry in the car, you know. So right 485 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 9: now I'm probably doing uber eats. 486 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 4: So trying to make you know, a living, so hopefully 487 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 4: I can get a place to stay, you know, with. 488 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: The high rents that's going on, and you're working uber eats. 489 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 3: Okay, if someone was first starting out being out on 490 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 3: the streets, what's the first thing that you had to overcome? 491 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 4: Fear of getting attacked? Yeah, I'm getting robbed. 492 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: How did you How did you overcome that? What did 493 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: you do? What precautions you do? 494 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 9: You need to be together with the other homeless, you 495 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 9: need to join forces, you know, your protect e shut. 496 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: What do you think about the protests that's going on 497 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: right in front of you. 498 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's good. People will listen hopefully, Yeah, yeah, because 499 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 4: nobody visits to the homeless. 500 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, and this is one of the things that we're 501 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 3: trying to do is wake up the community. What's going on. 502 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 3: Have you been observing what's going on with ice Rays, Yeah? 503 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 2: I do. 504 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 4: But the thing is they're trying to like get get 505 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 4: rid of the homelessness in the streets. 506 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 9: But the thing is, it's not just supposed to be 507 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 9: the cops, you know, or the workers in the streets. 508 00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 9: It's supposed to be a little bit together with the 509 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 9: DP says, because since they're the one who's trained social 510 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 9: workers to talk to the home, especially the mentally you know. 511 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 4: So, but the thing is, it doesn't happen. 512 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 9: It's just the police and the workers get the sanitaddy 513 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 9: like they don't. 514 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 4: Care about their stuff that get get. 515 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 6: Out, you know. 516 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: Very true. Well, Deborah, I thank you for your time, 517 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: and again I hope you stay safe. Thanks so much 518 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: to Deborah. 519 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 3: Finally, I caught up with the encampment resident Chad, who 520 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 3: brings his experience of living in the affected encampment for 521 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:35,479 Speaker 3: the world to hear. 522 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 10: Hi, how's it going, what's your day? Chance Sherwin. 523 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 1: It's the Sherwin. What it's been going on? You've been 524 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: living on the streets, right, Yeah, unfortunately for a while. Now. 525 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 1: How long have you been out here? 526 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 10: It's been off and on for six years. 527 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 11: However, I've been kind of back and forth from housing, 528 00:31:54,960 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 11: temporary housing to jail. I had temporary housing for a while, 529 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 11: like about a year and a half, and then I 530 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 11: was out on the street somewhere walking and I got 531 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 11: pulled over and apparently I had a warrant that it 532 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 11: was a reopened case. 533 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 1: It was just a. 534 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 11: I stole something from Target or something from Orange County 535 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 11: and they, I guess, they reopened the case and I 536 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:24,040 Speaker 11: wasn't expected to be reopened. I went to court and 537 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 11: all that, but since it was reopened, I still had 538 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 11: a warrant. So I got sent to jail and it 539 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 11: was like two months or something. And when I got out, 540 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 11: they unfortunately took my room over but I called numerous 541 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 11: times and the hotel never answered. It's like they didn't 542 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 11: really want to answer the phone. 543 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: So what's been going on over in Mountain View. 544 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 10: Well, it's been like maybe two weeks ago. 545 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,680 Speaker 11: There was a raid at our initial establishment where we 546 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 11: had like maybe fifteen tents, and we've been living there 547 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 11: on enough or like I say, almost six months, maybe 548 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 11: a little longer, and the cops they decided to come 549 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 11: through instead of the initial sweep. Now sweep is where 550 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 11: they take all the trash and everything out from the 551 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:14,800 Speaker 11: area and push it aside and clean it up while 552 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,479 Speaker 11: we take our tents and things and move them off 553 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 11: of the property. But what happened is we were ready 554 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 11: to pull the tents away and take them to the 555 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:27,240 Speaker 11: other road, where the officers came through thirteen to twenty 556 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 11: deep and ripped a hole in the tarps and said 557 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 11: get on the floor, blah blah blah. 558 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 10: They tried to arrest numerous people. 559 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 11: I think they did arrest like three or four of us, 560 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 11: and they checked everybody for warrants. Mind you, we weren't 561 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 11: doing anything wrong, like at all. We didn't do We 562 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 11: weren't doing anything, and they said we were in fraction 563 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 11: of a municipapal code. 564 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 10: Or something on a new law. But I really don't 565 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 10: think we were. 566 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 11: I think I spoke to said we were actually in 567 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 11: playing legal boundaries to do with DISO. So I don't 568 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 11: know why they decided to do what they did, Yeah, 569 00:33:59,160 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 11: I was going. 570 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 1: To act you because they're like, why all of this escalation. 571 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 3: Forty one eighteen has been out for a while and 572 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 3: mostly if not been enforced because of the backlash and 573 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 3: then to what's going on with the ice detention and 574 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 3: all the raids. 575 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 1: The law enforcement has been occupied. So what started them 576 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: to all of a sudden stare it to be much 577 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: more aggressive. 578 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,880 Speaker 11: I'm thinking they're taking the next approach, like there's a 579 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 11: they have this all planned out since day one, so 580 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,319 Speaker 11: they know what they're doing, and I think they are 581 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 11: just following their timelines necessarily, and something to do with 582 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 11: you know, the the Olympics and all that. They're trying 583 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 11: to get this place cleaned up, which is understandable. But 584 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 11: we don't need to go to jail and be thrown 585 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 11: about and taking all our stuff away, you know. We 586 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:44,080 Speaker 11: just need to be placed into temporary housing so we 587 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 11: can get our licenses or IDs and get permanent housing, 588 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 11: just like you know, Section eight has been around for years, 589 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:51,000 Speaker 11: you know, so that's what. 590 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 10: We're trying to do. 591 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:54,720 Speaker 11: But in the meantime, all we're asking for is temporary housing, 592 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 11: which is like a hotel stay, you know, It's not 593 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 11: like hotels are the best location as it is, you know, 594 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 11: that's still the bottom of the food chain living. 595 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,320 Speaker 10: So it's sad that they won't even offer that to 596 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,480 Speaker 10: their citizens of the community. 597 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 1: So what are the next steps to getting them to 598 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 1: get their attention. 599 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 11: Well, we're standing out here on sixth Street doing a 600 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 11: rally or a protest, I don't know what you call it, 601 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,320 Speaker 11: but we're in front of the councilwoman's office. I'm not 602 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 11: exactly sure of her name off the top of my head, 603 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 11: Hernandez Unice is Hernandez. Yeah, And we're basically just standing 604 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 11: up for what we believe in, trying to get us 605 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 11: housing and this. You know, there's, like I said, about 606 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 11: thirteen thirteen or so people that really have been out 607 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 11: here for a long time, and some of them suffer 608 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 11: from mental illnesses. We've seen numerous assaults and things like 609 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 11: that on the street that are just not meant to 610 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:49,439 Speaker 11: see all the time. And it's not like we're in war, 611 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,320 Speaker 11: you know, So it's just this tragic the amount of 612 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,399 Speaker 11: bloodshed we've seen on these streets. It's just because we're 613 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:58,759 Speaker 11: on the streets so long, you know, that we see 614 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 11: things that we shouldn't have. But yeah, we're trying to 615 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,120 Speaker 11: get initial housing over here, just temporary stuff. 616 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 10: That's all we need. 617 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 3: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk 618 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 3: with us. Is there anything what you'd like to send 619 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 3: about situe unites? 620 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,239 Speaker 11: Just see the amount of effort we're trying to put 621 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:22,799 Speaker 11: forth in just getting temporary housing. You know, that's that's 622 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 11: way insane compared to the most people that are just 623 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 11: sitting around that you guys offer the temporary housing to. 624 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 11: You know, we're trying super hard to get this and 625 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:34,479 Speaker 11: we'll leave. You know, we have no problem just being 626 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 11: ghosts about the whole situation, you know, just going away 627 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 11: and starting our normal life again. But I really think 628 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:43,840 Speaker 11: you should take a step back and do what you 629 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 11: can for as many people as you can at the time. 630 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 1: But you can well, thank you again. 631 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:52,399 Speaker 3: You heard it yourself from the residents that are living 632 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 3: on the streets. Treat them like adults, give them dignify, 633 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 3: take the temporary housing until the situation could become long term, 634 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 3: and they're you have it. Thank you to Chad and 635 00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 3: again to everyone who spoke to me at the conference. 636 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:11,719 Speaker 3: This is a developing story that will require updates. We'll 637 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:16,400 Speaker 3: share more information as it becomes available. Finally, thank you 638 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,239 Speaker 3: for listening in If you have a story you'd like 639 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:21,719 Speaker 3: to share or raise you have witnessed that need to 640 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,880 Speaker 3: be highlighted, please reach out to me at Whedianhouse at 641 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 3: gmail dot com or whedian House on Instagram. Until then, 642 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,760 Speaker 3: may we again meet in the light of understanding. Whedian 643 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 3: House is a production of iHeartRadio. It is written, hosted, 644 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 3: and created by me Theo Henderson, our producers Jamie Loftus, 645 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 3: Hailey Fager, Katie Fischel, and Lyra Smith. Our editor is 646 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 3: Adam Want, our engineer is Joel Jerome, and our local 647 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 3: art is also by Katie Fisher. 648 00:37:58,520 --> 00:37:59,800 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. 649 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 5: Can you d you you