Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Police arrest 5 more activists for feeding homeless

-Hackers crash web sites to protest Orlando's homeless feeding restrictions-

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-hackers-attack-sites-for-homeless-20110620,0,988820.story 

Computer hackers shut down the Orlando Chamber of Commerce's web site for most of the day Monday and posted a "boycott Orlando" message on a major theme park's Internet page to protest the homeless-feeding policies of Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Orlando's restrictions on feeding large groups in downtown parks has resulted in arrests of members of Food Not Bombs, a group that recently lost a court fight to continue its food giveaways at Lake Eola.

The peace group's goal is to not only feed those who can't afford a meal, but to draw attention to poverty, homeless and issues related to the costs of war. The arrests of its members has attracted international attention.

The hackers behind Monday's attacks say that until those feeding policies end, they plan to push its boycott message to as many as 250 million email addresses across the globe in the next month.

The members of the group Food Not Bombs were ladling out corn on the cob, rice, beans and watermelon to about 35 people when they were handcuffed. About two dozen activists and homeless people booed and chanted "Food is a right, not a privilege" as they were loaded into a waiting police van.They were violating a controversial city ordinance that prohibits sharing food with large groups in a downtown city park more than twice a year. Food Not Bombs has been fighting the ordinance but lost a legal appeal in April, clearing the way for the city to begin enforcement.

The five arrested — Nick Emery, Tommy Frain, Thomas Hellinger, Kyle Trailies and Fischer Williams — ranged in age from 17 to 27.

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