To start, let’s admit something that hasn’t been talked about much in public yet: Thanks to its offer of free food and blankets, the (Un)occupy Albuquerque camp functioned as an improvised homeless shelter almost since the beginning.
This fact is the central theme of University of New Mexico’s news release announcing that the protesters’ permit would not be renewed after 10 p.m. last night.
“The nature of the (Un)occupy Albuquerque protest is that it attracts many different types of individuals, and there is no way to assess whether people are or are not part of the (Un)occupy protest, so as a result the university has chosen not to approve a permit extension,” the statement reads. It makes passing reference to “a number of incident reports” received by UNM’s Police Department, including an accidental death that occurred near the Yale and Redondo bus stop (which, incidentally, is not actually part of Camp Coyote).
According to police report, on Saturday, Oct. 22, officers were directed to the scene by a homeless man, who had been with a woman when she died. He told the officers that she said she had “finished a gallon of vodka prior to the incident.”
UNM writes in the release that the university sought suggestions from the city to help “address the issues with the transients who have been attracted to the protest.”
This could have served as a powerful wake-up call to the administration. Homelessness and substance abuse are not new problems at UNM. The fact that someone died on campus should have been met with a promise to implement social programs, to stop handing so much money over to construction companies and instead reinvest in making Albuquerque a better, kinder city.
Instead, the administration decided to scuttle the protesters so the unsightly homeless people won’t tarnish the university’s image. The basic message of all this? If you’re going to die in the street, that’s fine with us—just do it somewhere else.
It’s not like this is a new position for the university to take, either. UNM’s student-run newspaper, the Daily Lobo, published a story last month about UNMPD’s efforts to remove homeless people from campus.
For the first 90 minutes of every day, the university police force kicks homeless people off campus, a UNMPD spokesman told the Lobo. He went on to say the department has “a zero-tolerance policy” for homeless people that are bothering students.
UNM spokesperson Cinnamon Blair says it was no single person, but the university administration as a whole, that decided to remove the protesters.
“It was a collaborative decision. It was an administrative decision,” she says.
So what we have here is a literally faceless bureaucracy deciding that it’s unacceptable for the most disadvantaged members of society to be on campus—a decision which, conveniently, disrupts a class-based protest at the same time.
Blair references safety concerns on campus. “The concern is, there are people with families out there. There are people that have their kids and their spouses, and they’re just out there to protest and mind their business,” she says.
The problem with this reasoning is that there’s at least one homeless family—a father, mother, and child—that’s been taking advantage of the resources Camp Coyote offers. Walking by the camp on Central late one night last week, I saw the kid’s tiny shoes sticking out from under a tarp laid out next to the sidewalk, an image that has haunted me ever since. UNM claims to be concerned for families’ safety but offers no assistance of any kind to this particular family.
In fact, sleeping at Yale park was prohibited under the terms of the permit, denying the family even the relative comfort of sleeping on grass instead of sidewalk.
The safety issue is spurious for another reason: It’s not like UNM was such a safe place before this. A woman’s throat was cut outside the campus’ anthropology building in February 2010, a full year and a half before Camp Coyote was set up.
But there’s another part of Blair’s explanation that really gets to the heart of why the protesters have to go. She explained the university had to consider the safety of “all of (its) constituents” including students, demonstrators and “people coming in for cultural events over the weekend.”
Therein lies the most logical explanation for the university’s actions. It had to consider its other constituents, particularly rich, well-dressed Popejoy patrons who don’t want to pass a homeless shelter on their way to see the Blue Man Group.
The administration has therefore come down clearly on the side of the top 1 percent of Americans, the group that makes up its “cultural event patron” constituency. To be fair, it has also expressed that it may be willing to tolerate the next 98 percent, assuming they follow the rules. But as for the bottom 1 percent? Well, go die somewhere else.
Alibi contributor Andrew Beale has followed the occupation since it reached Albuquerque. His opinions are solely his own and do not reflect those of the Alibi or the (Un)occupy group.
I appreciate your dedication to the (un)occupy movement and your accurate reporting. It was reported in the Daily Lobo that you were arrested last night. If this is true I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. I wish I could have been there with you. I am grateful that you are standing up and speaking on the injustice friend. Peace be with you, Kristen Gandy
You make some excellent points. I am a student at UNM and am not a fan of the administration. However, I must interject that for someone who did not participate in the activity at Camp Coyote, the protest's seemingly unfocused mission detracted from its credibility. The first day they set up at Yale/Redondo I commented that the area seemed to have the look of a legitimized homeless camp. Then there was the name change [(un)occupy]. Was it a makeshift shelter or part of the Occupy movement?
I definitely feel there is a need for an improvement in services for the homeless in our city, and definitely far too much "turning a blind eye" to a serious and heartbreaking issue.
First, OWS is learning solidarity with the MOST economically exploited members of our communities. Next, OWS will have a consciousness raising about the jail and prison systems. All of it is connected and related. We can't simply regulate banks and close the Fed. We must regulate SOCIETY and clothe and feed.
The University has no obligation to clothe and feed people, like someone suggested.
They do have an obligation to educate their students. If a deterrent like the homeless hanger-ons attracted to the un-OWS appear, it is imperative that the University run them off. Most parents don't fund their children's education hoping that they are mingling with the worst of society. They want them among the best and brightest. The homeless around Central Ave. is a City responsibility and they are doing an awful job, like Alibi writer oenophile alluded to. Those homeless cretins creating problems normally use the Inter-Faith and Evangelical services located downtown for sustenance, but seemingly they have migrated, for whatever reason.
Personally, I support the undefined message OWS sends. It signals the Government that there is trouble brewing. And in a big way. The Tea Party started raising hell and OWS is following. Hang on you guys and gals, but try to self-police the miscreants that would glom on and screw it up, just like they screwed their own pitiful lives.
Regards
Mike
I was buying into the devastating conclusion of this article until it was suggested that Popejoy patrons are part of the 1%. Would beg to differ. I would say its mostly a middle class audience, many of whom are fairly liberal and wouldn't object to walking through or around an encampment.
if the admin is so concerned about student safety maybe they also need to look over the UNM mission statement and see how it contradicts with the mission of AM LOBOS radio 760 KKOB.
surely the constant racism and sexism from limbaugh and michael savage, and the generally constant global warming denial that comes out of KKOB, is also not good for the students. KKOB's talkers demean OWS protests, protestors, and their goals. it pressured the UNM administration to crack down on protestors. similarly, KKOB is THE local loud voice for union and teacher and immigrant bashing, voter suppression legislation, wall street deregulation, tax breaks for millionaires, and all Republican obstruction to the major reforms we need. IT IS a partisan political radio station and was very important in selling the Iraq attack lies to NM residents.
since it is LOBOS radio the admin expects some students will listen to it so it can't say it's just free speech that students can choose not to listen to. how is the KKOB/UNM contract consistent with the UNM mission statement? or any institution of higher learning? or maybe UNM joined with the station before the political talk began. either way, the relationship should end.
the KKOB station is downtown near the city jail and may be a good place to protest. or maybe a petition should start up.
I agree that UNM is a bureaucracy, sometimes "faceless." I believe this is its main motivating factor in not renewing the permit and arresting protesters. UNM wants to maintain control of its campus and enforce its authority. It's not sending a message about supporting a socio-economic class over another.
I am sympathetic toward your anger over homelessness in Albuquerque and the way the homeless are sometimes treated, both by the public in general and the University. But I believe you (and we) will be best served by trying to work with the University (and city and private groups) to address the various problems.
I am also sympathetic to your first amendment rights. Keep speaking up! Keep fighting! But always remember, those in charge will use anything to strip you of credibility. Any whiff of illegal activity or even general impropriety will aid their case.
Best.
I agree that UNM is a bureaucracy, sometimes "faceless." I believe this is its main motivating factor in not renewing the permit and arresting protesters. UNM wants to maintain control of its campus and enforce its authority. It's not sending a message about supporting a socio-economic class over another.
KKOB is clearly partisan and working for the 1% and is well coordinated with other RW stations nationally in its attacks on the OWS protestors. and it has been applying tremendous pressure on local politicians and police. the sports relationship with UNM should end - there is a clear conflict of interest.
