Don’t mess with us – D..H..S!

by Ace Tafoya/PoorNewsNetwork (PNN)

On my way to the Department of Human Services (DHS), I was sitting on the back of the 14 Mission bus with a picket sign that read ‘Shelter For All’ with members of POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights), Food Not Bombs, Coalition on Homelessness, the Day Labor Program and other homeless advocate organizations in the city. I was here to re-port and sup-port for PoorNewsNetwork and as a POWER member, I would be part of a staged ‘sit-in’ at the offices of DHS. We were going to Plant ourselves, our furniture and our household items in front of 140 Otis with a message: Trent Rhoehr (DHS’s director) - please don’t mess with us! Our lives are at stake!

With Gavin Newsom trying to conjure up more support for his mayoral race and his Proposition N/Care Not Cash initiative the day before on the steps of City Hall with hundred’s of misinformed people, our protest at the Department of Human Services was simple but effective. Picket signs and chants along with desks, furniture, lamps and plants were boldly placed near the entrance of DHS as we walked in a circular motion.

"(The United States Government) needs to take care of our people first," shouted Facheezee out of the megaphone speaker as we circled around him. "San Francisco, we love you and we’re not going nowhere!" He was referring to Newsom’s Prop. N and shelter expulsions and evictions. Even though Prop N was overturned by Superior Court Judge Ronald Quidachay last week, people are still being evicted from city shelters. People are still receiving eviction notices. 

"We don’t need anyone to tell us what we can do with our money. I’m gonna be in the rich neighborhoods and camping out," Mikal Yasin a new member of POWER told the crowd of about 30. "We want to be treated equally. You need to help everybody. We don’t want your cash, we want the cash we earned!"

I walked around other supporters of our protest with my picket sign waving in the air and pointing at the people looking at us through the windows. We chanted:

Forced shelter

Where’s the care?

Work for $1.84

Where’s the care?

Evicting Immigrants?

Where’s the care?

Fingerprinting

Where’s the care?

The Care’s Not There!

Lafayette Ricks shouted through the megaphone: "We’re here to fight you (DHS) to the bitter end. You’re beating on the poor. The poor will fight ‘til the end," he said sounding like Martin Luther King Jr. Lafayette used his powerful voice to talk about shelter evictions and expulsions and poor people being picked on by DHS and Newsom.

Trent Rhoehr, the director of DHS was no doubt hiding out somewhere in that building. ‘The Lizard’ as Nora from POWER calls him never came out to talk to us. 

"Everyone needs a place to stay. A place to call home," Bernadette Belle told the enthused crowd. "Power to the People!" Andre Rucker added, "Prop N is fascism. Gavin Newsom represents fascism. He represents corporate America."

After our rally, we all huddled together and did our unity clap and I felt a sense of satisfaction that we are making a difference and letting our voices be heard. This fight is far from over. And we will soon be making another appearance somewhere to let these people and politicians know that what DHS is doing is not acceptable!