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Austin Homeless Free for All Ordinance

rage-a-holic

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TKthunder2
TKthunder2

Do what San Antonio did.  Spend a couple million on a facility in Far East Austin that is equipped to receive the homeless and parter with local charities, church, community colleges and hospitals to

crash_davis
crash_davis

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austins-homeless-residents-fear-whats-next-once-camping-ban-takes-effect/ Abigail Wilson is among those who just found out about the Prop B ban. She said sh

Red Five
Red Five

I realize hindsight is 20/20, but perhaps building a gigantic homeless shelter in the middle of downtown Austin wasn't the greatest idea ever. 

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23,470

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

So he wants people to take photos of homeless people and post them publicly, instead of simply reporting the location   

That’s mighty Christian of him.  

The Bible hardly says anything about the poor. If I am to believe today's Christians, the Bible is full of stories of immoral gays and owning guns. Poors, fuck them.

 

Jesus never did anything for the poor. Pffftttt.

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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4 hours ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

Abbott putting Austin city leaders on blast and asking for people to post pictures homeless lawlessness to turn up the heat. Badass.

 

It is shocking to me that somebody who recovered (hopefully) from drug addiction would support taking and posting pictures of lost souls at the lowest point of their life as political leverage.  I'm glad Twitter etc. didn't exist when my mother was homeless and drug addicted. I can only imagine being on twitter and seeing my mother's misery deployed as a political symbol.

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Posted (edited)

Yeah, I've heard almost every rumor about him possible but I've never heard that one.  

I know Perry was a drug addict.  And not back pain medication, addicted.  I mean drugs, as in cock.  And addicted, as in enjoys licking aforementioned.  I can tell you that bullshit and politics aside, Perry is as straight as they come.  But I can tell you that Dan Patrick is a closeted homosexual.  And anyway, back to homelessness...

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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Posted (edited)

 

7 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Abbott was a drug addict? 

Icono, not the Governor. The Governor's indifference to the suffering of others is surprising for other reasons. 
I'm really glad that Icono pulled his life together and that he's willing to talk about it here, because talking about addiction and mental illness helps to destigmatize those problems. So I'm surprised and disappointed that he would support something that that only serves to stigmatize addicts and the mentally ill. 

Edited by Bozo_Casanova
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crash_davis

crash_davis 23,470

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Posted
12 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

 

Icono, not the Governor. The Governor's indifference to the suffering of others is surprising for other reasons. 
I'm really glad that Icono pulled his life together and that he's willing to talk about it here, because talking about addiction and mental illness helps to destigmatize those problems. So I'm surprised and disappointed that he would support something that that only serves to stigmatize addicts and the mentally ill. 

icono is one of those "Christians".  there is no Grace in the christianity that he worships.

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GHOSTUSER

GHOSTUSER 361

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Posted (edited)
41 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

 

Icono, not the Governor. The Governor's indifference to the suffering of others is surprising for other reasons. 
I'm really glad that Icono pulled his life together and that he's willing to talk about it here, because talking about addiction and mental illness helps to destigmatize those problems. So I'm surprised and disappointed that he would support something that that only serves to stigmatize addicts and the mentally ill. 

I have been actively involved in the recovery community at the Men’s Center and volunteer with Lord of the Streets in Houston to offer resources to those with addiction and battling homelessness. In no way do I advocate belittling those suffering or mocking them online. What I do hope is the Austin mayor and council be presented with visual proof from their constituents showing that their policies are enabling drug use and lawlessness. That is no way being compassionate or helping people who were in a situation similar to your mother. I am grateful to be in recovery and hope she is too and off the streets.  

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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Posted
I have been actively involved in the recovery community at the Men’s Center and volunteer with Lord of the Streets in Houston to offer resources to those with addiction and battling homelessness. In no way do I advocate belittling those suffering or mocking them online. What I do hope is the Austin mayor and council be presented with visual proof from their constituents showing that their policies are enabling drug use and lawlessness. That is no way being compassionate or helping people who were in a situation similar to your mother. I am grateful to be in recovery and hope she is too and off the streets.  

Meanwhile you’re literally cheering on the governor asking social media followers to make a public spectacle of drug addicts and mentally ill people. You’re very confused, brother.

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ChickenSandwich

ChickenSandwich 9,986

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Posted
3 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

It is shocking to me that somebody who recovered (hopefully) from drug addiction would support taking and posting pictures of lost souls at the lowest point of their life as political leverage.  I'm glad Twitter etc. didn't exist when my mother was homeless and drug addicted. I can only imagine being on twitter and seeing my mother's misery deployed as a political symbol.

Lowest?  They high as fuck

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pantone159

pantone159 731

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, Mappable said:

Homeless dude and car driver tussel, then homeless dude tosses scooter through car rear window:

https://twitter.com/MECarney_/status/1181942525847900160

Comment from the twitter feed from a supposed witness to this:

From what I saw the driver entered the intersection a little late and the ped was crossing prematurely. I heard the ped yell something, driver later claimed the ped hit his car. The driver aggressively reversed and pulled over to confront the ped, which is why his car is on the sidewalk like that. Got out and maybe jumped in the air and kicked the ped. They went to the ground, by the time I pulled over and got off my motorcycle the fight was over and the ped picked up the scooter and threw it through the window and ran off

I think I am putting most of the blame for this on the got-damned scooters...

 

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Posted

I think the big Takeaway here for mayor Adler is not people being mean to the homeless or the homeless convening violence or even e-scooters.   It’s that we all behave like fucking savages during rush hour because we pay attention to cosmetic shit and not the actual underlying issues in the city.   Three years after declaring himself the ‘mayor of mobility’, The only improvements I’ve seen to our road infrastructure is that apparently it’s a good place to have a fucking brawl.  
 

Mr. Mayor, I support you on addressing homelessness in a more vigorous fashion. But you need to come to grips with the fact that you’re a fucking child.  And arguably one of the biggest embarrassment to City Hall’s anywhere in this country

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Wally Pryor

Wally Pryor 5,413

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Ultimately, everyone finds a consulting gig with the city.   The newly-hired HSO is next in line.     Makes zero difference either way.  She'll just get $150K / year on a 1099 instead of a W-2. 

 

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin's "Homeless Strategy Officer" will transition from a full-time employee to a consulting role for the city, according to a letter sent to Mayor Steve Adler and council members.

Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales sent the letter to Adler and the Austin City Council Oct. 10, just weeks after the city announced they had hired someone to serve as Austin's "Homeless Strategy Officer" – Lori Pampilo Harris.

 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/homeless/austin-homeless-officer-now-consulting-newly-hired/269-eb8bbbc4-436d-434f-9405-8a8ac71dc50f

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Nonbryan

Nonbryan 176

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

 

Ultimately, everyone finds a consulting gig with the city.   The newly-hired HSO is next in line.     Makes zero difference either way.  She'll just get $150K / year on a 1099 instead of a W-2. 

 

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin's "Homeless Strategy Officer" will transition from a full-time employee to a consulting role for the city, according to a letter sent to Mayor Steve Adler and council members.

Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales sent the letter to Adler and the Austin City Council Oct. 10, just weeks after the city announced they had hired someone to serve as Austin's "Homeless Strategy Officer" – Lori Pampilo Harris.

 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/homeless/austin-homeless-officer-now-consulting-newly-hired/269-eb8bbbc4-436d-434f-9405-8a8ac71dc50f

Is this like the Houston Mayor side squeeze deal?  Where are the local news investigators when you need them?

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Wally Pryor

Wally Pryor 5,413

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In a letter sent to Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members, Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales wrote: “Lori’s family obligations are such that she will be transitioning to a consultant role rather than a full-time employee role.”

Translation: Get me the hell out of this job's responsibility.  Want nothing to do with this clusterfuck mess.

https://www.kxan.com/news/austins-new-homeless-officer-moving-to-consulting-role/

 

 

 

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Posted

She's been on the job what, 3 weeks?  And she just suddenly up and remembered she has a family?  As stated above, she got to see behind the curtain...and she doesn't buy into Council and Adler's plans for us to real estate our way into mental wellness and freedom from addiction.  She came here with a cache of tools to treat the underlying issues of homelessness and run point on partnerships with the State, UT, Central Health, Caritas, Salvation Army, et. al.  And all she ever hears every fucking single day in City Hall is, "Affordable housing, more buildings, affordable housing, more buildings, affordable housing, more buildings."  

Fun fact though:  We'll be hiring a new full-time employee to take her position before the year is out.  And she'll stay on as a six-figure consultant.  Bank on it. 

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, RCRanger03 said:

I've been staying out of this thread for my blood pressure's sake, but this is a big blow and a surprise to all of us in the support service community. We really liked her...

 

I don't blame you, the politics of this are toxic, stupid and deeply inhumane. A lady I know who works in the services community told me that she's never had a worse time in her career and never seen citizens behave with such hostility and violence towards the homeless in Austin. 

Anyway, none of this is my lane from a policy standpoint, but from the outside it looks like one of those classic situation where a senior staff member doesn't get the council support they need to work their patch the right way and heads for the exit, then council realizes there isn't a plan B and the city mgr money whips them into staying on as a consultant. This happens any time there's a very hot zoning case (eg Northcross, Austin Oaks, The Grove)  and it's a symptom of poor leadership. 

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Posted

^

Agree with your second paragraph.  And I've seen it many times in my time at City Hall.  Pos rep.  

Now let me get back to my scathing inhumanity.  Walking down Congress in front of BoA bldg. (lots of homeless hang out there to panhandle in the evenings) yesterday in the fucking miserable heat in a suit (around 5:30p) .  I think I'm looking pretty dapper and  there's this smoking hot blonde opposite me in the crosswalk and she even gives me some eye contact and a half smile, and I'm getting all giddy to check out her ass after we cross one another.    Remember how muggy and hot it was yesterday?  Well just as the crosswalk light changes, this gust of wind blows right past me carrying the massive and overwhelming stench of putrid human shit that slugs me in the face like the literal hot bucket of shit from whence it came.  I do a full on gag reflex mid-stride, mid-crosswalk.  She sees it and I can't breathe again for another half-block.  Thanks a lot you homeless bastards!  I can't so much as dump a half can of soda in the storm drains downtown because it drains to creek/Town Lake.  But this guy can dump a bucket of shit in there and Casar says I'm being inhumane?  You know what's inhumane, I missed out seeing her ass and her probably liking it.  The sun would have been behind me shimmering through her skirt so I could have made out all the details and angles, you fucking animals! 

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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Posted

When I say "inhumane", I mean things like yelling in the face of people who are having seizures, shoving sobbing women in the midst of a psychological breakdown, banging on the windows and doors of shelters in the middle of the night, throwing trash and rocks at tents from passing cars and pissing on people who are asleep on the sidewalk after the bars close. 

That kind of thing has always happened in Austin, but it's happening a lot more now. The media frenzy and political opportunism has erased the humanity of people like my mother and given every asshole in town a license to go pick on the most defenseless people in town.

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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Posted
4 minutes ago, housious said:

If I was homeless, I'd accept venmo payments. In fact, I'd just write a funny slogan on a sign and list my venmo email address. Who even carries cash these days anyway?

Most homeless aren't panhandlers and most panhandlers aren't homeless, but it is puzzling that they don't use venmo/cash app  more often. 

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skittlebrau

skittlebrau 474

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1 hour ago, Lobo said:

^

Agree with your second paragraph.  And I've seen it many times in my time at City Hall.  Pos rep.  

Now let me get back to my scathing inhumanity.  Walking down Congress in front of BoA bldg. (lots of homeless hang out there to panhandle in the evenings) yesterday in the fucking miserable heat in a suit (around 5:30p) .  I think I'm looking pretty dapper and  there's this smoking hot blonde opposite me in the crosswalk and she even gives me some eye contact and a half smile, and I'm getting all giddy to check out her ass after we cross one another.    Remember how muggy and hot it was yesterday?  Well just as the crosswalk light changes, this gust of wind blows right past me carrying the massive and overwhelming stench of putrid human shit that slugs me in the face like the literal hot bucket of shit from whence it came.  I do a full on gag reflex mid-stride, mid-crosswalk.  She sees it and I can't breathe again for another half-block.  Thanks a lot you homeless bastards!  I can't so much as dump a half can of soda in the storm drains downtown because it drains to creek/Town Lake.  But this guy can dump a bucket of shit in there and Casar says I'm being inhumane?  You know what's inhumane, I missed out seeing her ass and her probably liking it.  The sun would have been behind me shimmering through her skirt so I could have made out all the details and angles, you fucking animals! 

I'll say it again, but this is a situation where almost everyone is wrong. Not sure what the path out of it is, but I hope we find something.

 

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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Posted
I'll say it again, but this is a situation where almost everyone is wrong. Not sure what the path out of it is, but I hope we find something.

 

Totally agree, but I would add that the least to blame here are the permanent homeless themselves, most of who aren’t even fully capable of self care. The tragedy is that they are paying a higher price than anyone for this right now, while Greg Abbot and Matt Mackowiak make hay demonizing them.

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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39 minutes ago, skittlebrau said:

Agree with that. But, some of the advocacy groups share in this. Along with Council and the local/state Republican Party.

Totally agree - shame on the local GOP for the damage they have done to vulnerable people's lives, but the council has fucked this up in every way they could have. They didn't design the policy well, got caught flat footed by the response and hasn't acted quickly and well to contain the political, professional or human cost. 

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atomheartbevo

atomheartbevo 90,683

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I don't blame you, the politics of this are toxic, stupid and deeply inhumane. A lady I know who works in the services community told me that she's never had a worse time in her career and never seen citizens behave with such hostility and violence towards the homeless in Austin.

And we all knew this would happen.  And City Council knew this would happen - as much as we’d like to pretend they are dumbasses who don’t think more than a few minutes ahead, they have plenty of people they listen to and use as sounding boards.  

Nobody thought that putting the general public into closer contact with the homeless. Would result in more compassion for them.  Nobody.  Especially at a time when people are aware of the problems in California.  

So you really have to wonder what their play was/is with this.  

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26,911

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Posted
And we all knew this would happen.  And City Council knew this would happen - as much as we’d like to pretend they are dumbasses who don’t think more than a few minutes ahead, they have plenty of people they listen to and use as sounding boards.   Nobody thought that putting the general public into closer contact with the homeless. Would result in more compassion for them.  Nobody.  Especially at a time when people are aware of the problems in California.   So you really have to wonder what their play was/is with this.    

 

 

No. That’s where you are wrong. They didn’t know this would happen. There is no conspiracy. They were simply naive and walked right into it. I think people forget just how green this council is. Adler had zero on-dais experience coming into this. Not even as a commissioner. Tovo and Kitchen have deep experience but have airtight, homogeneous circles. Pool is experienced as an activist but is in an echo chambers. Alter is in Pool’s echo chamber but doesn’t have any experience (or much else). Delia, Pio and Natasha are focused on their district issues. Mostly (and they should be). Casar is focused on his district and very progressive (and very authentic) on social justice. Paige Ellis is new. Delia Garza is great but moving on apparently. Flanigan is only one man. 

Being Mayor of a big city is harder than running the board of ballet Austin. People on this board don’t understand how great Lee Leffingwell was at keeping the BBs in the box behind the scenes and he’s not coming down that tunnel. We need a Mayor with charisma, vision and guts at this moment and Adler is struggling to lead.

 

 

 

 

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skittlebrau

skittlebrau 474

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

No. That’s where you are wrong. They didn’t know this would happen. There is no conspiracy. They were simply naive and walked right into it. I think people forget just how green this council is. Adler had zero on-dais experience coming into this. Not even as a commissioner. Tovo and Kitchen have deep experience but have airtight, homogeneous circles. Pool is experienced as an activist but is in an echo chambers. Alter is in Pool’s echo chamber but doesn’t have any experience (or much else). Delia, Pio and Natasha are focused on their district issues. Mostly (and they should be). Casar is focused on his district and very progressive (and very authentic) on social justice. Paige Ellis is new. Delia Garza is great but moving on apparently. Flanigan is only one man. 

Being Mayor of a big city is harder than running the board of ballet Austin. People on this board don’t understand how great Lee Leffingwell was at keeping the BBs in the box behind the scenes and he’s not coming down that tunnel. We need a Mayor with charisma, vision and guts at this moment and Adler is struggling to lead.

 

 

 

 

This is good insight. The charisma and vision thing were super evident when he was on a panel with the mayors of Minneapolis and St Paul on the last Chamber trip.

As a Flannigan honk, also appreciated your thoughts there.

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Posted

Yeah, I love how they pretend Zimmerman and Troxclair were the only things keeping us from reaching a homlessness-free panacea.  It's literally impossible this many elected officials are this stupid.  Only the simulation excuse can explain away how they have absolutely zero obstacles in their way of passing their one true agenda.  And they keep fucking it up, over and over again.  

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Samson's Wig

Samson's Wig 3,230

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Posted (edited)

When people keep electing folks with ties (directly or indirectly) to development/construction, this is the shit you get.  It's not unique to Austin.  Even in the rare moments when they are truly acting out of a sense of what they think is right, they still see the world through the lens of a developer.  This is why so many cities' big fix for homelessness/crime/[insert any other problem here] is little more than real estate transactions.  Pockets are lined, the pols move on, and the next round of self serving jackwagons get in line for their piece.  The shame of it is how rare someone that isn't a developer, married to a developer, or in some way financially tied to a developer runs for local office.  Fuck all of them.  If we need to be inhumane towards a group of people, let's start with local officials (followed closely by developers).  The homeless should be way down near or at the bottom of the list.

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Cajun

Cajun 11,780

Posted
Posted
On 10/3/2019 at 8:46 AM, MissingInAction said:

If he was begging for money to buy McDonald's then he is obviously suicidal, and you should have called in a welfare check on him. 

Why do you want the homeless to die? 

Call for a welfare check?  You mean APD?

The question is why do YOU want the homeless to die?

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bschoolprof

bschoolprof 6,352

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Posted
3 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

Should I read any more after the beginning of the 3rd paragraph that says:  "The Austin City Council, which has been moving to the left in recent years, deemed this an unacceptable situation."

Moving to the left in recent years?   Holy shit. 

No.  Unfortunately, I did.  

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Deej

Deej 77,894

Posted
Posted
37 minutes ago, Abogado Peligroso said:

https://www.kxan.com/top-stories/man-violently-attacked-while-protecting-women-on-congress-avenue-bridge/

I walked up on this as the good samaritan was being loaded into the ambulance.    He was all fucked up and looked terrified.   We need to stop emboldening these people.  

We were told the violence was directed towards the homeless. That story can't be true. 

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