Affordable housing protest in Jacksonville disrupted when city workers throw props away

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An economical housing rally downtown was disrupted on Sunday when city workers took props from the rally and threw them away.

Through the rally, activists established up dressers, mattresses and other household furniture to resemble people obtaining evicted and thrown out onto the streets.

Information4JAX asked the city why workers took the props and Main Administrative Officer Brian Hughes said it was since citizens can’t block the entrances of general public properties.

As the rally was underway city staff pulled up in vans and began eliminating the household furniture from in entrance of Metropolis Corridor.

Condition consultant Angie Nixon stated officials gave the activists permission to be in front of City Corridor so she claimed she was surprised it occurred.

“To connect with metropolis staff in and pay back them over time alternatively of generating positive that our parks are clean are drainage complications are mounted the flooding problems are stopped they determined to do this since they want to go on attacking our constitutional legal rights,” Nixon explained.

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Organizers mentioned the rally was held for the reason that Florida is now the most expensive condition to are living in in the US.

Could 1 is also the working day of the worker so activists desired to honor the personnel and deliver awareness to the lack of inexpensive housing.

Activists assumed it was ironic that city workers came to type of evict them from their very own rally.

“That couldn’t have been far more symbolic than them in essence staging an eviction at our rally for inexpensive housing so I assume they did us a favor painting the position we’re seeking to make,” Shayne Tremblay mentioned.

It is truly worth noting that the rally remained peaceful even as town staff came and taken off the home furnishings. The activists explained they basically aided them out by eliminating their props for them.

The Town of Jacksonville launched the statement beneath regarding the incident.

“They were being illegally blocking a federal government setting up,” the city claimed. “It was a fire hazard with a finish blockage of the entrance and exit to Town Hall. We questioned them twice to make sure you transfer the furnishings mainly because it was in violation of hearth code and it could also be viewed as unlawful dumping. They refused to move it. Because this is violating an ordinance, we had city crews to arrive retrieve it. We have no challenge with protests being held at Metropolis Corridor, and folks have each and every ideal to march again-and-forth in entrance of the constructing, maintain signs and many others. But we can’t enable the blockage of the entrance and exit doors. We would like they would have complied with our requests to just just transfer the home furniture and have on with their situations, but sadly they refused.”

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