Statement from Monday Night Mission Founder Mel Tillekeratne

How we will carry out our Protest Against the Proposed Ban on Feeding the Homeless in Public!

Since founding Monday Night Mission, I’ve had the honor and privilege of leading hundreds of the kindest and strongest Angelenos, to feed our homeless brothers and sisters on Skid-row. It is thanks to their good hearts, hard work and dedication that I was able to launch this protest and will be able to lead all of you to be the voice for all our homeless brothers and sisters in Los Angeles tomorrow.

In carrying out this protest, we will start by massing in front of the Metro station at the intersection of Hollywood Blvd and Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028 at 4.00pm on Saturday the 14th of December, 2013.

We will start the protest by declaring the following:

We, the residents of the City of Angels would like to remind Tom Labonge, Mitch O’Farrell and any others who support this proposal, that:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (According to the Declaration of Independence.) 

We Angelenos, would like to show our fierce opposition against motion 13-1238, submitted by Tom Labonge and Mitch O’Farrell, calling for an ordinance criminalizing the feeding of homeless people in the public rights of way.

We Angelenos, would like to remind all authorities governing Los Angeles, including but not limited to Tom Labonge and Mitch O’Farrell, that any person with or without ownership of a home, is an equal resident of this city, and has the right to consume food, as does any other Angeleno, in the public rights of way.

We Angelenos affirm our right to share food, with whomever we chose and whenever necessary, in the Great City of Los Angeles.

We strongly urge the City Council of Los Angeles, to act with immediate effect, to add more affordable housing and shelter resources for our brothers and sisters who call the streets home.

We will then go on to hold a vigil, for all our homeless brothers and sisters lost due to exposure to the elements and violence, in the absence of adequate shelter provided by the city of Los Angeles.

We will disperse at 6.30pm

I would like to remind all our supporters that we will be the voice for all our homeless brothers and sisters, therefore I ask that you act accordingly, representing them with honor and dignity. 

Furthermore, we will cause no violence, no damage to public or private property. I also ask that you do not cause any public disturbance. Any of the above will not be tolerated. If this is your wish we please ask that you do not attend. At 6.30 when the call goes out to disperse, please do so peacefully and without incident.

I look forward to leading you as a voice for our homeless brothers and sisters.

Thank you,

Mel Tillekeratne
Founder and Leader,
Monday Night Mission

“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.” 
― Nelson Mandela