PHOTO/PJ DAMICO
Editor’s note: Below are comments by Denver’s homeless transcribed from a video by PJ DaMico. The homeless speak about the city’s camping ban, jailings for sleeping outside and about people freezing to death. As we go to press, Denver cops were caught on video tearing blankets off of homeless people in frigid weather. The video was viewed 20 million times. The outrage was so widespread the city had to stop the practice, at least temporarily.
First man: “What is going on here is that the police are putting us in jail for sleeping. We’re trying to be downtown so we can be closer to work and other things. The police come by here and take everybody’s things.”
Second man: “They came by here and gave us a warning. They said, ‘the shift coming on is the a-hole shift. We’re the ones giving you the warning. The order comes down from the chain of command. We’re only doing our job and need to put food on my kids’ table’. So, seventeen to 25 people out here have to move to nowhere. We’re going to go sit in the Rescue Mission cafeteria and think about what we’re going to do tonight, cuz we can’t come back out here. We’re not committing one crime, ne’er one, but if you want us to we can, keep moving us.
People are dying and freezing. You’re running us off the street where we’re warm down to the river where they’re freezing to death. You’re moving us to nowhere. They’re dying! Why am I going to jail, what law am I breaking by just sleeping at night? There have been three or four confirmed deaths on the river because—this is a quote from their mouths—they didn’t want to go to jail so they moved to the river and froze to death! Any is too many, one is too many! Pick a spot and say this is for camping only. Tell us somewhere we can stay and be in the area of resources.”
Third man: “I’ve said this before on the news: they should get a place that helps people, build houses, tiny homes—build houses for the homeless.”
