Being Poor is Not a Crime! Decriminalize Poverty!

The City of Raleigh Code of Ordinances requires that those who panhandle must apply for a permit. They must register themselves with the state (making themselves vulnerable to police identification and harassment), show a photo ID (for many, an undue burden), be cleared of a criminal background check (an incivility of systematic and overlapping inequalities), or move onto another city if they cannot get the permit (a deterrence, then, that has the effect of “cleaning up” the city). Aside from panhandling without a permit, which restricts them to certain locations and hours of operation, there are other crimes on the books that panhandlers can be charged with, like loitering and pedestrian interference. We wish to see these laws repealed. 

For more info: www.occupyraleigh.org/decriminalize-poverty/