Protests erupt as Eugene mayor speaks at homeless persons’ memorial event
10 min read
Presenter: Homeless advocates and two unidentified members of the audience protested as Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis spoke at the annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day Dec. 21. They say the mayor shares responsibility for city policies that are killing people on the streets.
The event began with remarks from the chair of the Human Rights Commission, Blake Burrell.
Blake Burrell: My name is Blake Burrell. I’m the chair of the city of Eugene Human Rights Commission.
[00:00:27] The Human Rights Commission is a group of volunteers, advocates, organizational leaders and members of the public, who are together to advise the city of Eugene on how to improve the overall organization of our city. Part of what we do is accountability. Part of what we do is talking about the reality of what’s happening to our folks who are experiencing homelessness in the city of Eugene.
[00:00:56] Tonight is a really sad night. Tonight is a night that we gather and we talk about our friends and our community of folks who are living on the streets of Eugene, who are living in our shelter systems, who are living in our community without a home, without a place to call their own.
[00:01:20] We are talking about a group of folks who are marginalized by the city of Eugene, a group of individuals who are victims of enforcement being moved from place to place every night; being given citations, criminal punishment, fees; being told that they are less than human by our systems, by our people, by our personnel.
[00:01:43] And it’s not okay. People should not die on the streets. People should not be without housing. We should not be living in a system that does not pay us enough to live, that does not give us a place to be, that does not give us a place to call our own.
[00:02:01] And it’s not okay. And we shouldn’t be here to have this conversation. I shouldn’t be talking about my friends who have died this year. It’s not okay. We are living in a system that is not okay. It is unhealthy. It is not humane.
[00:02:19] And having to be here is really hard for me. I have cried multiple times today. I cry a lot and I have really deep emotions and really deep feelings about this and it’s really hard to stand here and talk to you all about this.
[00:02:39] There are names that are going to be read tonight that are people I love. And I know there are names that are people that you all have loved too. And holding this space to honor them is really important and really precious.
[00:02:53] And I know that a lot of us come from different walks of life and we have a lot of different thoughts and attitudes about this issue, and I want us to have a place to acknowledge this moment, to acknowledge that it’s not okay. People should not be experiencing homelessness. It’s not okay.
[00:03:11] So, I really appreciate you being here, and I really appreciate all our folks that came and brought resources and food to make sure that folks that come to this event don’t have to make the choice between food and resources and a place to sleep, or coming to memorialize their friends.
[00:03:29] That’s why we have this share fair. It’s to make sure that people that come here can eat. Because not everyone can. Not everyone has a place to do that. And they have to make choices, daily choices, every day, between doing what they’d like to do with their time and trying to survive. We have people in our community trying to survive.
[00:03:50] And so, thank you for being here. So, the Human Rights Commission has spoken very openly about what’s going on in Eugene and what we’d like to see change. And if you haven’t, I encourage you to take the statement that was written last year, at this time last year, where we asked the city of Eugene to change, to change what they’re doing, to be more humane, to have an approach that’s focused on support, not enforcement. We’ve asked for this to change. It hasn’t happened. It hasn’t happened.
[00:04:29] I’m the chair of the Human Rights Commission. I’ve talked to our city government. I’ve talked to council. I’ve talked to mayor. I’ve talked to city manager. I’ve said, this is what needs to change. These are the words of street outreach providers like Black Thistle. These are the words of HIV Alliance. These are the words of folks who are unhoused themselves, asking you to change, asking you to treat them like human beings.
[00:04:52] We need to keep pushing. We need to keep reminding what is going on. Tonight, we are doing that. Members of city government are here. Members of our community are here. We’re going to hear the names of people who have died. And they’re going to be a part of it. And that is important. Because we have to take this moment to put into context what is happening and honor those names.
[00:05:21] So, I appreciate you all being here.
[00:05:24] Presenter: Kris McAlister.
[00:05:25] Kris McAlister: Hello, my name is Kris McAlister. I’m with Carry It Forward, generally speaking as a provider, but I am here today as a community member. Please bear with me. This was hard for me to write.
[00:05:36] Good evening, sisters, brothers, and respected others. I come before you as someone who has been through the experience of homelessness for eight years, from the age of 13 to 22. Quote: ‘So early in life I had to learn that if you want something, you had to make some noise.’
I’ve held the hands of some of our lost and sought recognition of our fallen, whether through the naming of city sites, of those who died in our streets, or coordinating for solutions that have not been seen in the existent programming, despite the lived experience pleas.
[00:06:12] I have held the hands of some who have fallen. There are some who leave us unexpectedly through their choices or the errant act of another who did not see them as one of us.
[00:06:22] Over 40 people have fallen in the past eight years for me, and not all of them were homeless, but they fell for the same causes and bled for the same bleeding. They are the people who have a loved one out here.
[00:06:34] Around 20 of the lost that we have seen in the last five years were done so in a manner that could have been prevented. Others didn’t fit the mold of the current programs we have.
[00:06:45] And they are not forgotten. Our people are not forgotten. Rarely is the scarcity of resources the fault of those in need, whether it is a safe place to sleep, or the need for meds, food, or recovery. If not here, it cannot be realized. The person suffering risks not being seen.
[00:07:05] In these trying times and the times to come, I ask that you consider and reflect on this final quote: ‘If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.’
[00:07:20] The quotes above are from Malcolm X, a man who understood the element of community in the face of resistance. Thank you for honoring our lost, respecting our fallen, and serving the living in the efforts to not add their names next time we meet next year to remember why our people are gone.
[00:07:38] Thank you for being here.
[00:07:40] Presenter: David Strahan.
[00:07:41] David Strahan: I had a much longer speech planned than this, but when I started looking at all the names that were here, a lot of them touched me directly. Two of the names up here were cheering for me when I left the hospital. They were supporting me, flying banners for me, two of the names on the bags you see here.
[00:08:02] So I’m honored to be asked to speak. I’m honored to be able to hear these names again, even as painful as it is, because these homeless, they’re our neighbors, they’re the ones who struggled in silence. Their struggles on this earth have ended, and it’s up to us to make sure they’re not forgotten.
[00:08:25] For the social workers and case workers out here, some of these names are going to hit really hard for you. They’re folks that you’ve advocated for. For a lot of the homeless, these were your camp buddies. These were folks that you knew. These were people who gave you a coat, who gave you a blanket when you were in need.
[00:08:43] Don’t stop being part of that supportive community. It’s not looking better. It’s going to be a struggle. Let’s not give up.
[00:08:53] So these are the names of the ones that we know. For the volunteers, the organizations, I’m here with St. Vincent de Paul, the Egan Warming Center. I’m here with Carry It Forward. I’m here with my own program, Hope on Wheels. I know a lot of these names because I have a little bit of reach. I know a lot of the faces out here because we’ve interacted.
[00:09:19] We know the common people. We know the names of a lot of these people up here. You’re their warrior. You’re the person who stood up for them when nobody else had a voice, when nobody else would speak up for them. Don’t forget how important that was for them.
[00:09:35] Yeah, we came up short. We’re going to continue to come up short. I’m not saying it’s going to get better. It’s going to get harder. But if we don’t lift ourselves up, and we don’t lift each other up, the ones who are doing the work, whether your friends are named up here, whether your friends or family died in another state, these should mean something to you.
[00:09:58] And the people who are here doing this, you’re here because you have a heart. Again, to the next four years, it’s not going to be easy. Practice self-care. When you see your friends struggling, help them up. When you see somebody whose name you might see here standing on a street corner, don’t look away. Look in their eyes. If you walk by them, acknowledge them. If you have time, hear their story. The names up here, the Badgers, knew him personally. Jim lived at my house. Delena (Chambers) held a banner for me on my trip home from the hospital. And she was homeless herself. Support those that we can support. Because when things go right, and decisions go your way, that’s what keeps us coming back. That’s what keeps us engaged. That’s what keeps us wanting to help these people. Those small rewards.
[00:11:00] Yeah, these may seem like failures, but I’ll bet you there are people here who knew these names and something better that happened to them because you were in their lives, because you were a part of their lives. Maybe you’re an Egan volunteer, you gave them, you gave them one night. Me, I get to give them keys sometimes. Those rewards that we get, that’s what keeps our hearts engaged. We know the reason that these names are up here and it’s flat-out greed. We know that. We have the collective will to make a difference. It’s time for everybody to hear that will and make your voice be heard. Thank you.
[00:11:41] Presenter: Mayor Lucy Vinis was handed the microphone to share brief remarks, and to read the names of those who died while living on the streets, with former Human Rights Commissioner Scott Lemons ringing a small handbell after each name.
[00:11:55] Many homeless advocates were offended by her participation, saying that city policies directly contributed to those deaths.
[00:12:03] As she began, several people participated in a silent and nonviolent protest, moving to the back of the pavilion and turning their backs on the mayor as she spoke. Some held posters.
[00:12:15] Two persons in attendance later added their own independent protests, with one flinging a bowl of chili toward the mayor, and another flipping over a table containing city brochures.
[00:12:26] While the mayor went on to read the names at the memorial, for the purposes of this news report we asked a local homeless advocate to read the names in place of Mayor Vinis. From the BareFoot Defenders, here’s Jetty Etty:
[00:12:40] Jetty Etty: Al, Amanda Dupray-Raley, Ariel Friesner, Badger, Barry Schneider, Billy Foster, Clay, Clifford Bowman, Craig Krueger, David McCoy, Delena Chambers, Dennis, Doc, Don Sanborn, Dwayne Woods, Elizabeth Adams, Elvis, Eric Jackson, Eugene Phillips, Flint, Gigi, Greg Carothers, Gregory Thornberry, known as Greg, Hazel Dai, Hunter Hand, Hunter Hermes, known as Trapper, Ian Craig, Janette M. Hayworth, Jason Adams, known as Doc, Jason Brantley, Jason Charles Adams, Jeff Kirkpatrick, Jennifer Tatum, Jeremy blue eyes, John Beck, John Garrett, John O’Neil, Jonah, Jonah Daggs, Joseph Boyd, Josh Wright, Ms. Jennifer Tatum, known as Skittles, Nathan McNeil, Nichole Vargas, Nicole Mason, Pat Hadley, Pb, Ricky Hoy, Robert Liberty Sr. known as Ranger, Robert Mather, Robert Reeves, Ron, Ronald Stoltenberg, known as Captain Ron, Ronald Ward, Ruby, Rudolph Grunwald, known as Pancho, Scott Crozier, Sparkles, Terry Dearinger, Tom Campbell, Trapper, Lance Plummer, Stacey Rains, Amber Mark, Big Jim Young, Travis Hembury, Doc, Jefe, Piper, Edward Bo Carlson, Jack Moore, T.D., A., Perard Perardos, Trapper, and Tron.
[00:18:42] Presenter: That was homeless advocate Jetty Etty, reading the names of those who died on the streets. Lane County reported 4,826 people unhoused during November, with over 3,200 of them spending at least some time in unsheltered situations.
See also:
- Homeless persons’ memorial: ‘The work of loving, giving, serving, and rescuing is ours, if we choose’
- Protest at homeless memorial event grew out of July council meeting
Spellings of names provided by the Human Rights Commission. Some of the names on Jetty Etty’s list were not read during the event. They include: Tacoma, Matthew Adams, Delano Oscar, Jack Move, Weston Smith, Mike Hill, and Robert Aaron Davis.
