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Homeless Protestors Move Across Street From Site Of GOP Presidential Debate

Monday morning, dozens of homeless people are camped out in front of the Mahaffey Theater. They're vowing to stay there until Wednesday, when CNN and YouTube will host a Republican presidential candidate debate at the theater.

ERIC HAUSMANN / News Channel 8

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By JASON ODRA and STEPHEN THOMPSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2007

Updated: 11/26/2007 06:49 pm

News Channel 8 Evening Report | Photo Gallery

ST. PETERSBURG - The Bay area's homeless have reached a partial compromise with the city of St. Petersburg. Instead of camping out in front of the Mahaffey Theater, they've moved across the street.

Dozens of homeless people showed up outside the theater Sunday afternoon. They want to raise awareness as the nation turns its attention to the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday inside the theater.

"We've moved across the street on public sidewalks around the Hilton and Starbucks," said Bruce Wright, one of the protest organizers. "The other part of the compromise kind of didn't happen."

The homeless protesters also wanted to underscore their concerns about the opening of Pinellas Hope, a temporary refuge being set up on 126th Avenue North, near 49th Street.

The 10-acre campsite was initiated by Catholic Charities and the Diocese of St. Petersburg before the winter season. Organizers hope to be able to help about 250 homeless with shelter for the next four to five months.

"The concern is Catholic Charities said it was going to be voluntary," Wright said. "Yet the city created an ordinance forcing people to go to Pinellas Hope."

A city ordinance prohibits sleeping in the streets if there is room in a shelter.

Wright's group wanted the shelter to be voluntary and they wanted the city leaders to put that in writing. The city has yet to make that promise.

"We didn't quite win the victory we wanted," Wright said. "We did make some headway."

St. Petersburg has more than 2,500 homeless residents.

"The mayor and the powers that be do not want to be embarrassed before the world at our homeless problem," Wright said.

City leaders disagree on this one, too.

"I don't think this puts a black mark on St. Petersburg at all," said Beth Herendeen, a spokeswoman for the city. "It's something the country is dealing with."

Security personnel are expected to put a perimeter around Mahaffey Theater before the debate.

"We will be staging folks on 1st Street, and we'll have checkpoints checking people's credentials and their access," Herendeen said. "And if we've got this side of the street full with people, it will make it extremely difficult and logistically impossible."

Pinellas Hope opens Dec. 1.

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