MIAMI, FLORIDA — MCARE (Miami Coalition for Advocacy, Racial Equity) has returned from a significant visit to the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where they passionately denounced the City of Miami Beach’s recent decision to enact a draconian ordinance targeting people experiencing homelessness. The ordinance empowers the police to arrest homeless individuals for refusing shelter, a shelter that the City, paradoxically, prohibits within its boundaries. This leaves Miami Beach’s homeless population facing an impossible choice – arrest or banishment from the city.
Notably, no other American city requires homeless individuals to accept shelter to avoid arrest while simultaneously prohibiting shelters within its limits. As a result, Miami Beach has earned the unfortunate distinction of becoming one of the harshest cities in America in its treatment of its most vulnerable residents. The City’s decision coincides with an upcoming city-wide election.
The MCARE alliance, dedicated to advocating for racial equity and the rights of the underprivileged, considers this ordinance an extraordinary violation of basic human rights. During their visit to the United Nations, MCARE representatives met with and briefed global human rights officials on Miami Beach’s plan to deport or arrest its homeless population for the “crime” of being poor.
MCARE invites concerned citizens, advocates, and supporters to join their upcoming Racial Equity and Homeless Rights Zoom call on Tuesday, October 24th, at 1pm. During this event, MCARE will discuss their response to the Miami Beach ordinance, provide insights from their visit to the United Nations, and explore the newly established connections with international human rights authorities and international initiatives in place to expose the city’s human rights abuses on a global stage.
For more information or to participate in the Zoom call, please email info@MiamiRacialEquity.org.
Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity 