Here is some of the significance of the occupation of MDP has been a reclaiming of public space for late night, non-commercial, shared space for people to gather. Where else can people be at night for free?

No doubt this law was part of a racist anti-crime effort in the 90s... https://twitter.com/__winston__/status/1287839705262850048

Many public parks have been contested space in the city.

Monroe Park was a home for many. It was occupied twice and its renovation challenged and fought for 10+ years before it was finally destroyed and made brighter and more “controllable” for VCU — aka no houseless ppl.

Kanawha Plaza was occupied during Richmond Occupy. But many people already lived there and occupied the space too. In the following years it was renovated and people were pushed out again.

Abner Clay Park is where people stayed after Monroe got closed down. It’s where people shared food with their neighbors. Kim Gray lead the push to close down the park due to the presence of poor black people. It has been fenced off for almost a year now.

Festival Park (by the Coliseum) is where people moved to after Monroe closed down and more as Abner Clay was threatening to close. Well we all know about the coliseum project... seems development and heavy policing follows wherever houseless people try to make their homes.

This winter, a houseless encampment began next to the Conrad Center on VCU property. It was sustained by the people who live there and by activists who support people without homes. What happened to the Blessing Warriors camp? Stoney and VCU destroyed it using COVID as an excuse.

Are houseless people welcome at MDP Circle? They should be. Many have been pushed out of every inch of public space in the city. Is there space we can open up for new places to call home??

Let’s talk about gentrification and policing in public space in RVA...

Many of us enjoy the parks by the river, using them for access to the outdoors, partying, celebration, socializing, art.

But over years, more aggressive policing has begun at these parks and river spots, charging young people for drinking & smoking. Obvi this is racist...

Reports recently of ICE stopping people cooling off on a hot day at a river spot on the southside solidify how these places have become more policed.

Here’s a story. In 2007 some white ppl in Church Hill decided it was unfair that kids in the neighborhood had a blacktop to skateboard and play basketball in the Chimborazo Playground. So they got the city to remove part of a PLAYGROUND and pay for their petanque courts.

These ~10 white people needed four courts to play some obscure french garden game. So Black kids in the East End totally got kicked out of their playground. That’s how Richmond city became the owner of petanque courts!

We are sure we are missing TONS here. 1970s the city bulldozes Fulton Bottom after a flood causes some damage and destroys the Black neighborhood known for being the place to hang out in “the field” playing dominoes outside and gathering on porches. https://vpm.org/news/articles/2402/indelible-roots-historic-fulton-and-urban-renewal

In 2018, Scuffletown Park, popular alley hangout spot, began getting heavily policed after dark. The new park president trashed the childrens murals that were up in the space and tried to tell people they weren’t allowed on the grass. Cops were called almost nightly.

People fought back. What is Scuffletown?

Here's this historic context of the term, from "Dixie Be Damned" by Saralee Stafford & Neal Shirley (free pdf on http://libcom.org )

2020: the city uses COVID as an excuse to board up basketball hoops in parks like Battery Park where in warm months dozens gather to play basketball every single night. Another attack on Black social life & access to the outdoors.

2020: people set up a basketball hoop in MDP :)

Let poor & Black people exist outdoors. Let poor & Black people hold on to their homes! Let poor & Black people party.

It's the police who have enforced every single one of these encroachments on public life. It's the city and developers who have pushed it.

we don't forgive / we don't forget / we fight back

If it wasn't clear - not being permitted in parks after dark is a CORE PART OF ALL OF THIS. That law is racist as fuck, its a pretext for policing people and making the parks welcoming for gentrifiers and no one else. But police will never own the night :)