Class-Action Suit Against Denver Announced by Site of Sweep Today

Monday, October 5, 2020 at 4:40 p.m.

Noah Kaplan On October 5, attorneys and activists announced a class-action suit had been filed against Denver and fifty other defendants over sweeps of homeless encampments this year. 1/17

Noah Kaplan It was announced at a press conference by 14th and Logan, where a sweep is planned for October 6. 2/17

Noah Kaplan Terese Howard heads Denver Homeless Out Loud, one of the plaintiffs. 3/17

Noah Kaplan "The sweeps are inhumane and must end," said Andy McNulty, the Killmer, Lane & Newman attorney who crafted the complaint. 4/17

Noah Kaplan My Khe Nguyen and Alexis Valeriano Hernandez, nearby residents, are planning to protest the sweep at 7 a.m. tomorrow. 5/17

Noah Kaplan Residents of the camp at 14th and Logan cleaned and organized before the scheduled sweep. 6/17

Noah Kaplan Known as Green Eyes, Michael Lamb is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. “Sweep streets, not people,” he said. 7/17

Noah Kaplan Nate from the Party for Socialism and Liberation: “This is an absurd, cruel and inhumane response to the housing crisis. While the City of Denver makes millions of dollars off of developers and mishandles taxpayer money, they refuse to support the unhoused community even on their basic needs. There are viable solutions. And still the city gives no response. Housing is a human right. Housing, not sweeps.” 8/17

Noah Kaplan Said Sophronia Elisa: “I’ve been doing this since I was twelve years old. And I’m tired. I get up at 5:30 every morning to make sure this place is clean.... So many people are just a paycheck away from being here.” 9/17

Noah Kaplan “We have to teach our kids what’s right and what’s wrong," said Tara DeLaFuente, who visited with Tricia, a camp resident, with daughter Ashley. 10/17

Noah Kaplan At the October 5 announcement, people listened to speeches. 11/17

Noah Kaplan Some of the people living in the encampment offered their thoughts. 12/17

Noah Kaplan “We have a mayor that said we can do better, and better we are still waiting on,” said Denver school board member Tay Anderson, who invited local officials to visit the camps. “We will walk with you. Spend a day at these camps. Let’s talk with these individuals. They have not lost their right to vote, they are still your constituents. They are our people, and we must continue to protect them. And winter is approaching.” 13/17

Noah Kaplan According to Jerry Burton, a plaintiff in the case against urban camping: “The solution is housing, not sweeps. The solution is now, and not tomorrow.” 14/17

Noah Kaplan Sarah Tanous held back tears during emotional speeches. 15/17

Noah Kaplan The camp is slated to be cleaned out October 6. 16/17

Noah Kaplan 17/17

Class-Action Suit Against Denver Announced by Site of Sweep Today

Ten homeless individuals and Denver Homeless Out Loud filed a class-action suit in federal court on October 5 against Denver and more than fifty other individuals, agencies and organizations over the sweeps of encampments that have occurred in the city so far this year. The case, which was announced near a homeless encampment scheduled for a sweep this morning, claims that the actions violate provisions of the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments as well as aspects of the Colorado Constitution.

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