The State - News from Sept. 13, 1988

A food giveaway in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has resumed peacefully, in marked contrast to earlier efforts that resulted in flying fists, flying food and arrests. Talks between the Food Not Bombs group that organized the food and handbill handouts, police and Mayor Art Agnos’ office ended with the group getting a temporary-use permit to conduct the giveaways about a block from their earlier site near the park’s entrance, police said. So they moved their tables and pots of beans and rice to a new spot and began spooning out hot meals to anyone who asked. Food Not Bombs wants to draw attention to the plight of the homeless and to what they feel is disproportionate funding for the arms race compared to social programs. But previous food giveaways by the group have drawn complaints from residents, who said the activity was near a children’s playground, and they objected to their children seeing a parade of homeless people.