A year after the heavily debated prohibition against sitting or lying on San Francisco sidewalks was proposed, police have begun to enforce the law. The debate continues with supporters of the law claiming it is working and opponents claiming that it targets individuals who are homeless or mentally ill.

The first week’s numbers indicate that police in the city have handed out 75 warnings and eight citations. Citations range from $50 to $500 and potentially even jail time.

“The emphasis is not to cite, but to inform and offer services,” said police spokesman Sgt. Mike Andraychak to the Associated Press on Sunday.

Many residents of the areas Police have begun enforcing the new law have their doubts. Bruce Wolfe, vice president of the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council, doesn’t think the law will work and believes it to infringe upon civil rights.

“It seems a little bit overextended, overreaching. I just find to make everybody have to be on their two feet moving and walking seems very odd for a city to demand,” Wolfe said. “That it would have this huge drastic effect on changing the social landscape of the city, I just don’t see it.”

Sit-Lie, The controversial law passed by voters in November isn’t being enforced by city police just yet. Why? Chief of Police Jeff Godowon told the San Francisco Examiner on Sunday it was because multilingual social service cards designed to be given to loiterers hadn’t been finished yet. “We’re just waiting for the cards to come back from the printer.”

There are hundreds of print shops in San Francisco. Most with a turn around time of no more than two weeks. Homeless advocates speculate that the real reason for the delay is a new incoming Chief of Police, and not slow print service.

The ordinance bans sitting or lying down on sidewalks between the hours of 7am and 11pm. Fines range between $50 to $500 or possible jail time for repeat offenders.

A St. Anthony Scarving Artist Knitter takes a stand against the San Francisco Sit-Lie Ordinance (Prop L)which is on is also known by its supporters as the Civil Sidewalks proposition.

The ordinance would restrict sitting or lying on sidewalks citywide from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Police officers must give a warning before they can give a citation and the ordinance cannot be used to restrict the people’s rights to free speech and peaceful assembly (if they have bought city permits). A single offense will result in \$100 ticket, while subsequent ones may result in 30 days in jail.

However this knitter joins others who believe:

1. That it is always wrong to write laws that criminalize people just for being poor;
2. That it is an especially bad idea when those laws make criminals out of all of us; and
3. That the focus on sit/lie is making it harder for San Franciscans to find out about the real solutions that our
   communities are putting forward

And don’t forget to join us for a “Flash Mob Knit” on Saturday, September 25th promptly at noon —we’ll be there and gone in  a flash! at the Powell St. turn-around—for an adventure in domestic activism!

When we knit together together we can improve the world one scarf at a time. Those who will receive our scarves as gifts will know that there are people in the world who care for others and that love not ignorance trimuphs.

The scene outside city hall just a few minutes ago. Today May 10th, is the single most important day so far in the campaign to defeat the proposed Sit-Lie ordinance. Folks have been pouring in to have their voices heard within the normal legislative process.

If you can’t make it to the hearing beginning at 10am please consider stopping over on your lunch break. There will be music and art on the city hall lawn starting at around noon.

If you are unable to attend the hearing, please send an email to the members of the committee telling them to vote no on sit-lie.

A striking similarity was brought to mind when discussing the passage of Arizona’s new legislation (I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard about it by now) and the recent controversial law here in San Francisco, Sit/Lie.

“What happened in Arizona is … un-American,” the mayor said. “The idea that people, based on their race or ethnicity, can be pulled over or stopped and someone asks for their papers reminds me of something I read … happening overseas.” Mayor Newsom is reported saying to The Chronicle.

However disturbing and “un-American” the Arizona law is, somehow the same sentiment is not translated to discrimination based on income, housing status or mental health.  In fact, San Franciscans are fighting against something quite similar in our own backyard.

The proposed and hotly debated Sit/Lie law would make it illegal to sit or lie on the sidewalk and give police officers the authority and discretion to enforce the law as they see fit.  Sound familiar?

I live in the Haight and  I find it very unlikely that officers will cite the German tourists sitting and enjoying their Ben & Jerry’s, or the teenagers visiting from Walnut Creek who plop down to enjoy their slice of pizza or play with new skateboard parts.

So what is it then that is the deciding factor of whose posterior gets the privilege of sitting on San Francisco streets?

Whether it is by ethnic group, income class, housing status or other means, discrimination is something this country, and this city specifically have fought against for decades.  Perhaps we need to collectively turn our eyes back to our own glass house, and stand up with those who cannot sit down.

Yesterday Chris Daly, Supervisor for District 6 of San Francisco which includes the Tenderloin area, proposed a ban on lying on the sidewalks. This legislation differs from the proposed sit/lie law sponsored by Chief of Police Gascon and Mayor Gavin Newsom in that it doesn’t prohibit lying down, but telling lies while on the sidewalks.

Although far-fetched and a bit bizarre, Daly’s proposal portrays the equal ridiculousness of the sit/lie law which gives police the power to fine or arrest people for innocent behavior. In addition, sit/lie would criminalize certain groups including the poor and homeless.

Last Saturday, individuals and groups gathered peacefully all across the city of San Francisco to participate in Sidewalks are for People, a decentralized, city-wide event that encourages people to utilize their city sidewalks as places of community-building. Over 2 dozen events, including poetry workshops, bbqs and tea parties, occurred in all areas of the city and demonstrated how sit/lie would eliminate sidewalks as community space.

A sit/lie hearing will take place at City Hall on Monday, May 10th at 10:00am. Stand up for your right to sit down and oppose sit/lie.

San Francisco may be the next city to enforce sit/lie laws prohibiting people from inhabiting public sidewalk space. Mayer Gavin Newsom will be introducing his two new proposals to the Board of Supervisors today. One is modeled after sit/lie laws in the Pacific Northwest, affecting only commercial areas while the other is the first of its kind: a citywide decree prohibiting sitting or lying on any sidewalks. Anywhere.

In my hometown of Portland, OR a similar law was implemented a couple of years ago — and since then has been ruled unconstitutional. The law resulted in several cases of profiling against the homeless and poor. Often, tickets issued were contested and thrown out in court. I’ll be interested to see how it pans out here in San Fransisco…it’s hard to say a law won’t be profiling when it’s meant to target only a specific group of people.

Read more about the proposed laws here.