Stop The Sweeps

It is that moment — in open space with no corners to worry about, in plain sight, just part of the fabric of urban existence and survival — when the isolation is sometimes eased a little for a homeless person.

Be it a park, a field, a lot or a curb, the homeless person is away from the judgement of “the busy” with a chance to slow the mind and digest the day. Perhaps they will talk to themselves and re-enact the injustice of the day or of the years to make sense of it all, or to just hear their voice in the face of silence. It is a chance to let their guard down.

Paradoxically, the homeless are home.

Except they are not, and they know it. The brutal mechanized police sweeps will come soon enough. From there, the homeless person will again have to put on their defensive armor and navigate the corners, hiding from the judgement of “the busy” and just be part of the fabric of urban existence and survival, with nowhere to go.

The Eugene “Stop The Sweeps Gathering” was Monday at the noon hour at the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse on E. 8th Avenue. It was the local National Homeless Memorial Day gathering, a 30-year-old national movement dedicated to the homeless and which falls on or near Dec. 21, winter solstice.

One message of the gathering was that not everyone will survive, and no one — from city government to police to especially the homeless — walks away from the destruction of homeless encampments with their dignity intact.

Roughly 50 people (advocates and homeless) mingled. A large banner declaring Dec. 21 National Homeless Memorial Day had the added line of “We pause to remember the unhoused people who have died in our community.”

Socks, stocking caps, coats and food were made available to the homeless who needed them. There were small candles for men and women to commemorate the homeless on the solstice. Also, the event was formed to help raise awareness of the pressing storm that the homeless feel daily.

It was put on by a coalition of groups, including White Bird, Eugene Catholic Worker and a developing organization called The Way Forward, whose “modest goal,” says spokesman Nicholas Furrow, is to end homelessness in five years “and the sweeps right now,” especially along the Washington/Jefferson bridge area.

A more formal Candlelight Vigil for the Eugene homeless men and women who have died on the street this year is 6 pm Jan. 8 at Washington/Jefferson Park on W. 1st Avenue.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!