WASHINGTON – When Occupy DC activists set up their tents in a downtown park to protest joblessness and lack of government action, they were taking over an area that had been headquarters for a number of the city’s homeless.
But homeless activist Eric Sheptock said the Occupy movement isn’t pushing the homeless out of McPherson Square. The protesters have tried to accommodate the homeless, but some prefer to stay away from the crowd, Sheptock said.
“Many of them just don’t want to be around a lot of people and that’s why they choose not to be there, but they aren’t being pushed out by the Occupy DC people.,” he said. “They are welcome to be involved in Occupy DC and that’s what the occupiers actually want.”
Those that don’t mind the crowds stick around and are offered tents, food and first aid attention. Some even opt to join the movement.
“I’ve seen other homeless people that I know that don’t stay in the park that have come out and socialized with them and have eaten their food. They’re just a real big mix in different type of folks,” Sheptock said.
Larry Foster-El is one of those people.
The D.C. native said he has been homeless since 2004. He left a shelter to join the occupiers at McPherson Square. Foster-El has his own tent and administers first aid to protesters as needed. He said he recognizes the need for cooperation.
“I know we have to do this thing together,” he said.
Chris Wilson, an Occupy DC protester who volunteers in the comfort tent in McPherson Square, said homeless people familiar with the area look out for protesters.
“They also run kind of a street security because they know some of the people from the streets,” Wilson said.
Foster-El said the homeless who stayed in McPherson Square as well as the protesters “try to bring on harmonious conditions at all times so we don’t have to have Metropolitan Police come in here or park police come in here. Any type of disturbance is all it’s going to take.”
Sheptock hopes that occupiers will take more steps to engage the homeless around the protest. The high cost of housing is an important part of the movement, he said, and homeless people should want to join.
“When you lose your housing, you lose everything.” Sheptock said.