Ongoing Protest Against the Santa Cruz Sleeping Ban

In response to an endless stream of tickets from police and rangers for illegal sleeping, Santa Cruz homeless people are now engaged in an ongoing protest against the sleeping ban. In the early morning of August 16th, over 30 people were sleeping on the hard bricks at City Hall. People have slept at City Hall, 809 Center Street, every night since August 12th to visualize their lack of a place to legally sleep. There are no plans to end the protest until people are allowed to legally sleep somewhere.

The following photographs were taken late in the night of August 13th and early in the morning of August 16th. The photographs are being published in an effort to raise awareness of the terrible situation that homeless people face when their human need to sleep is treated as a criminal act. People should not have to worry about harassment and tickets from police and rangers when they cover up with a blanket or fall asleep at night. ((i))