The State : 29 Held in S.F. Food Protest

Police equipped with riot gear arrested 29 people as they tried to give food to the homeless in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, prompting jeers and taunts from the group’s supporters. The arrests were made after 100 members of the group called “Food Not Bombs” marched through the Haight-Ashbury district to the park and set up tables with plates of beans and melons. “By sending the police here, the mayor’s saying it’s illegal to feed people,” said Stephanie Hedgecoke, an organizer for a group called “All Peoples Congress.” The city had warned the group that they would be arrested if they attempted to give away food in the park. The group said the police action was the result of complaints from local businesses. Those arrested for investigation of violating various park and health violations did not resist.