Food not Bombs, Free food the hungry + homeless

dublin | miscellaneous | news report

Tuesday October 14, 2003 16:11

by Paul Cummins - FnB

foodnotbombs at thisbetterworld dot org

Every second Sunday St S G end of Grafton Street

A group of friends decided to re-jig Food not bombs in Dublin. We reclaimed food prepared into lovely veggie burgers and then went to St Stephens Green to give the free food out to hungry passers by and the homeless who thought it was lovely we got moved on several times by the hostile park keepers, who then called the police when we were reluctant to exit the park just for giving out free food.

Eating free food in St Stephens Green

Food not Bombs reclaims food that otherwise would be thrown out and gives it to the hungry and homeless. To read more visit http://www.foodnotbombs.net/bookwhy.html

Food not bombs in Ireland has been around in various forms for the last few years but mostly doing protests and events. A group of friends decided to re-jig fnb in Dublin and try to run bi-monthly fnb, going back to its fnb main aim giving reclaimed food to the hungry and homeless in public parks, to highlight the amount of food that is wasted and to interact with homeless people.

On Sunday afternoon veggie burgers were made from the collected food and it was brought down to St Stephens Green.

We first set up beside the fountain in the centre of Stephens Green and began to handout the food to passers-by who were pleasantly surprised by this free food with no catch.

After a while a elderly park attendant came over and told us to move but when we said it was free, he went "Oh alright, free is it?" and walked off.

We continued to give food out to parents with children, tourists, the regular OAPs who probably had their name on a bench etc., giving out flyers to explain the fnb idea as above.

Then two more attendants arrived telling us to move, we asked them why. they said we had no permission and no insurance "someone could trip and fall" said, we asked him what this had to do with giving out free food?

We tried to get an actual reason for why we were being kicked out, when the first attendant came back "I thought you guys were wrapping up I told you to go". The large attendant threatened to call the police several times, we still asked for a good reason to leave but we eventually did when we saw we couldn't reason with him and he was getting hostile so we left to set up outside the park.

We gave out more food at the entrance and handed out flyers, the food was mostly taken by Sunday walkers or shoppers but when the Sunday afternoon routine is established we hope to spread the news to homeless too.

After a while the park attendant returned and because we were still supposedly on park property told to move again.
We expected this to happen but had to try to do it in a park first because a large part of fnb is to have communal food in a public space so all kinds can interact. The police were called and as we continued to give out food about 20 minutes after the police were called they arrived. The male policeman was quite pleasant and reasonable he asked us to move to the side while he talked to the park attendant who continued to shout at us in front of the policeman. The park attendant called the police to remove us from the park but as we were doing nothing illegal the only thing he could do was make a complaint that we abused him verbally which I feel we didn't, I never raised my voice nor swore at him while he shouted and called me an asshole several times.

The policeman congratulated us on what were doing but did take our name addresses because of the other guy’s complaint and advised to move across the street.

We did so and continued to give food out for another half and hour or so attract foreign tourist and skate kids who hung around and talked as they ate.

We plan to do this every second Sunday as near as to Stephens Green at 4pm.

Keith McHenry a co-founder of Food not Bombs will be in Ireland and available to give talks at the beginning of December. See http://www.foodnotbombs.net/

If anyone wants to help this group out and find out how to start one in your area please email [email protected] or go to http://www.foodnotbombs.net/

Veggie meals on rubber wheels...

munch munch

Dum Dum ....Dum Dum

Move cos I say so...

save preference

Comments (12 of 12)

about ciaron

by tomahawk

Mon Oct 20, 2003 22:06

That's completely insane! Is this the little coffe shop next to the whitefriar community centre? I really would be interested to know if they gave you a reason.. or if whoever called the fuzz had the decent humility to hide in shame behind the counter [or a statue of mother mary].
can't help with the bible quote : i was raised by a devout atheist. good luck to ya.

Ciaron

by Ged

Fri Oct 17, 2003 01:21

That's a shocking story there. Did the guards not tell you why they wanted ye to leave? I suppose if the manager wanted ye off the premises that was that. Maybe he's concerned about the image of his business, that might be understandable (at a stretch), a bit like nightclubs with their door policy....

How about Leviticus 20:13

by Chaz Bufe

Thu Oct 16, 2003 18:04

13: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

OK Dreadhead..drop the creampie, nice & slow & noone will get hurt!

by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker

Thu Oct 16, 2003 17:57

I got off the bus in Aunguers St. on a nice sunny Tuesday last.

I ran into Gloria, a homeless woman who I know from the shelter where I use to work. I suggested we have a cup of coffee and took her into
the Church coffee where the bus had pulled up to drop me off.

I went up the counter and ordered two coffees and two pieces of pie with cream (hopefully Fear my indymedia waistline stalker isn't reading this!)

The counter staff served us (Gloria was totally sober and passive). I joined her at the table and we were chatting when the manager must have called cops.

I always get a little self conscious about eating in front of folks who aren't (is that hangover from the famine or what???).
But with two Garda looming over us, demanding we leave immediately, it gets really weird.

I told them we had bought the food - the staff had sold it to us - and we planned to eat it and leave. They said they couldn't leave until we left. These guys were young and fit body nazi types, so I was feeling really self-conscious busted with my cream pie! How are my tablemanners going ?etc.

Gloria was briliant such humility in the face of humiliation. She wasn't provacative but wasn't rushed. We finished our apple pie and cream and coffee and backed outta there.

I think I was more stunned than angry. (See I must be maturing without losing my innocence!!!???!!!)

**OK a prize of coffee, apple pie and craeam (or vegan equivalenT for the best scriptual quote to send to these people.

vegan/veggie

by Marianne - FNB

Thu Oct 16, 2003 13:17

Hey Ollie,
Yeah the food was all vegan. Personally, I dont eat meat and would have a problem with cooking it in our kitchen, this is part of the reason we wouldn't serve it.

The other reason is that with meat and dairy the possibility of food carrying bacteria or being harmful is higher.

We do serve dairy products if they are recovered sometimes but never meat.
That is not the policy of FNB worldwide, which I believe includes serving recovered meat, but our branch would not take on that risk.

Frazer, We did not feed many homeless, maybe 4 or so. We are trying to make FNB regular and have flyers to give out to let people know where and when it will be on.

But it is also for the hungry who aren't homeless and gives a chance to explain to people about the amount of food that goes to waste in our society and instead of feeding the homeless indoors or quietly at night, brings the issue into the public areas during the day.

photo evidence

by frazer

Thu Oct 16, 2003 00:22

how many homless or actually needy did you feed. Im not giving out and I have no problem with what your doing but the pics dont say much good..

fivebellies and a 40 watt bulb in the skull...turned ooooooffffff...

by ollie - katalyzer

Thu Oct 16, 2003 00:11

fivebellies, you _could_ have a point if refering to money, but not food!

fnb exist to do a lot more than 19c style charity work.

fnb highlights stuff, apart from feeding the homeless and whoever wants it.

stuff like......food waste. Food waste also becomes 'rat-attracting landfill filling'. in fact, the more you think about it, the more doing anything other than fnb seems wrong.

I do have a question though. I'm a veggie, and I know its a touchy area, and notwithstanding the more obvious food hygine issues....what about meat? Also, is this action vegan?

Personally, I've just written an article for a new mag, based in Clare called Kultura on postvegetarianism...and I'm not goin to rehash it here.........but.......isn't waste meat worth saving and distributing too?

shock news

by pc

Wed Oct 15, 2003 10:21

ive returned yesterdya and got photographic evidence of of someone feeding the ducks and the ducks had no insurance...

Fivebellies

by redjade

Wed Oct 15, 2003 06:30

Fivebellies, if you are gonna insult these folks, at least say something original.

This is a bad idea

by Fivebellies

Wed Oct 15, 2003 02:54

Giving handouts to the homeless in the from of moeny or food is actually cruelty. You are giving them a means to stay on the streets rather than use the state services available them.

You give food or money to a homeless person, you're keeping them on the streets. It's charitable giving, 19th century style.

nice action

Tue Oct 14, 2003 19:10

good to see this kind of thing happening.

keep it up :-)

Food not bomns on sunday

by Paul Cummins - Fnb

Tue Oct 14, 2003 16:17

as above

giving out free food....

moved on but not detered