Big Changes at Sharing Ban's 1 Month Mark

City Website on Monday afternoon

As many are already aware, Chef Arnold's lawsuit against the sharing ban got a hearing yesterday which resulted in a 30 day lift of enforcement against outlaw food sharers.

Sharing food downtown can resume as usual until January 2nd, 2015, or so, and some groups are already announcing their return to Stranahan Park this week. For all its furor, the sharing ban's first incarnation only lasted 32 days (Yay!)

This also effectively ends the hunger strike for the seven, but it may be safe to assume, since the sharing ban may return, that these strikes could return.

The other big stir of the week was that Anonymous announced #OpLiftTheBan on Monday and almost right away used a DDOS attack to bring down fortlauderdale.gov and jackseiler.com .

While the legal hearing that ended the sharing ban probably would have happened the next day regardless, the sharing ban fight has dominated the local news so far this week. Since Chef Arnold's first criminal court hearing and the Broward County Continuum of Care Board meeting are both this morning, Wednesday, this trend may well continue.

Viva La Resistance

Christmas is Cancelled on Las Olas 12.2.2014

No doubt, the lift on the sharing ban may quell some of the public outrage against the City of Fort Lauderdale.

Note however that Anonymous' #OpLiftTheBans declared  hack  attacks would continue if  the panhandling and camping ban were  not lifted as well. Presumably their campaign continues.

Fort Lauderdale Food Not Bombs and other activists have also pledged to continue to use protest and direct  action downtown to pressure businesses to oppose the sharing ban and other Homeless Hate Laws, or at least stop  supporting them. This was the case Tuesday night as protesters braved the rain, rowdy drunks, and teeming crowds of "Christmas on Las Olas" to bring revellers the  message of "CHRISTMAS IS CANCELLED."

Hundreds of people were made aware of the fact that many of the properties and businesses hosting "Christmas on Las Olas" have uncomfortably close ties to the Downtown Development Authority and other policy makers that created the sharing ban. Perhaps most remarkably, some people there actually seemed interested to hear about it regardless of the festivities. The 15 or so protesters did not get arrested, have beer  thrown at them, or any of the things you might expect when telling large groups of party-goers that "Christmas is Cancelled."

Food Not Bombs will be continuing protests downtown, even while the sharing ban is not being enforced, to convince the "downtown business interests" that the Mayor holds so dear to get rid of this monstrosity completely. FNB's first legal food share in 6 weeks will be Friday.

More news later on...we have some early morning bureaucracy to get to.