Issue #2. December 2024. By Lateecia
Spoken by the people on Skid Row. Edited and published by Dare to Struggle. Distributed by Skid Row Stands Up
On December 5th, Skid Row Stands Up recorded and protested LAPD and LASAN sweeping the homeless and their belongings off the block. We asked a participant, Lateecia, for her thoughts.
It’s like as long as your pockets are lined. Like you have that access to the money. And then the thing is, you guys are grateful that this type of job opened up for y’all, LA Sanitation to come and sweep people’s things away, because, that’s how you’re getting your rent paid. If it wasn’t there, you wouldn’t have a job. They don’t care, cuz, the level outside of theirselves. They’re not thinking about community, or like, how another person is feeling, or what another person is going through.
They’re just like, ‘they don’t need it anyway, they’re homeless. They don’t need all this extra shit, why do they need it?’ But it’s not up to you to determine how much shit other people have. You’re not their guardian. Why [can’t] homeless people have stuff of sentimental value? We’re human beings just like y’all. Why can’t we have stuff that we hold around just without y’all trashing it away because y’all don’t see it as [valuable]?
They’re acting like they’re a child that can’t take care of themselves, like they’re not responsible enough. And that’s how most of these shelters are run. And that’s why I was in a shelter for a whole year before I even got matched to a fucking place. Because they wanna see that you stay in line, y’know? And it’s like, what are you talking about? Housing should not be contingent on none of that shit. It’s gonna be a cold ass winter. And people shouldn’t be [un]housed because they do things that other people don’t like, or they’re not walking a straight line.
These places that you’re sweeping away, too, in place of coming to have to clean and wipe away all these tents, why don’t y’all set up, like, huts that you have to monitor y’allselves?
“Homelessness is the problem. But y’all not helping to fix it.”
There’s multiple ways y’all could work around this, to where you’re not just coming through, wrecking people’s shit, throwing their shit away, y’know? Like, how they have the showers set up, they could be having little office areas set up, low key, with a few workers coming and talking to these people, figuring out how they can help them, what they can do for them. But they don’t even do that. That’s crazy! Y’all trying to make it seem like the homeless people are the problem. Homelessness is the problem. But y’all not helping to fix it. Y’all think by putting programs like LASAN where they come and sweep people’s stuff away, it’s helping the problem, because it’s helping the business owners not have so much shit in front of their places. And that’s their second home, not even their first home. They could drive away, walk away, take a bike to get to their city where they don’t have to worry about none of that shit. Dare to Struggle interviewer: ”What did you think of the LASAN guy dancing?” Not only are you [LASAN] saying that people are grateful for you coming in and wrecking people’s shit, but you’re laughing and joking around, when you’re acting like this job is so important, and you clearly don’t see the importance of it if you’re acting like a fool. You’re recording us but you should be doing your job.
You should be thinking outside of a paycheck. Because, this 9-5 shit, this, “everyone for theirselves”, it hasn’t worked this whole time. And it’s not going to ever work. Because we were all put on this Earth to communicate and connect with each other and learn from each other. And if we – y’all don’t understand that if you’re not getting that, that’s crazy. Cuz you can build as many castles away from the people, or from situations, from homelessness, from all types of shit, but it’s not gonna make the problem go away.
“Get them the fuck off the streets to begin with”
Can’t they talk to their supervisors and ask them why they don’t have any other housing programs, walking with them, trying to get these people off the streets, actually? Cuz they say they have so much funding for homelessness prevention?
It’s crazy how they can say homeless people are taking from the government, but y’all sitting around, using this government job to pay your bills, and y’all not doing shit. There’s one person to each side, cleaning it down, power washing it. Why are there ten, 15 motherfuckers right there? It’s crazy. That was shocking to me. And they’re all laughing and giggling, like, no honestly like, take a look at yourself! Y’all going down all these streets, all these blocks, doing nothing! The streets still look trash!
How come they just pop up, ‘hey’, and they give you 15 minutes to come and get rid of all your shit, whether it’s a week’s worth, whether it’s two weeks’ worth? I just feel like the way they set up the sweeps are fucked up anyway. They come in, they just take their shit. They’re not really here trying to help them organize, help them figure out how to fix shit to make it look good, so they don’t have to keep on coming through here.
I really don’t like the idea of them continuing to sweep, I wish in place of the sweep, people come and teach these people how to clean up after theirself. Or get them the fuck off the streets to begin with. Then they don’t have to worry about coming through here and cleaning up every week. Right? Cuz, there won’t be anybody on the streets anyway. They’ll have their own spot.
Skid Row Stands Up mass meeting attendee: ”So these sweep watches are to prevent the cops from harassing the homeless people?”
For example, it seemed like they did let them take a little longer to get their stuff because we were there. And they weren’t as aggressive or rude because they knew eyes and cameras were on them watching. So I think that is a good measure to, you know? We’re there watching to see what they’re doing. Because we have heard of instances where they come through, just being completely reckless. And being very disrespectful. “we have to give the power to the people to let them know” If we’re able to let them know, like, okay, your injustices, voice them out. How can you expect somebody to help you first if you’re not expressing what you’re going through, or what you’ve been through, or what you need help with? So, we have to give the power to the people to let them know. What are you feeling? What are the injustices that are being brought to you? What do you think should be done? Do you think you can help yourself? They’re not trying to help them. If you cared, you wouldn’t be okay with, coming through daily, and sweeping people’s shit away. Without no initiative to why they’re here, why they’re in a fucked up situation to begin with, not trying to help them, not trying to see about any of that.
Skid Row Stands Up mass meeting attendee: ”I think maybe we were too mean to the cops?”
No, no, no. We don’t need to be nice to them! We could’ve been ruder, to be honest. They don’t deserve it. You are heartless! And we should treat you with the same respect that you’re treating [them].
Right now we’re just in the beginning stages, right? We don’t have that big ass [crowd] standing behind us. We don’t have a million people knowing what we’re standing for. Yet! That’s what I’m saying, ‘yet’!
SKID ROW STANDS UP!
If you don’t speak up for yourself, who will?
The politicians and nonprofits have abandoned us. We can’t depend on them to fix this!
Your neighbors need to hear your stories, your problems, your solutions.
We have to be the way out!
There are many ways you can contribute:
- Spread WORD ON THE STREET
- Come to meetings every Saturday at 2 p.m. in Gladys Park, Skid Row to learn more, plan sweep watch, and join our street teams
- Send us your testimonies, stories, or how you want to contribute to Skid Row Stands Up at daretostrugglesocal@tutamail.com
Dare to Struggle 