The first thirty years of the Food Not Bombs
movement.
THIRTY YEARS OF COOKING FOR PEACE - a
short history of the Food Not Bombs
Movement
Food Not Bombs is gaining momentum throughout the world. There are
hundreds of autonomous chapters sharing free vegetarian food with hungry
people and protesting war and poverty. Food Not Bombs is not a charity.
This energetic all volunteer grassroots movement is active throughout
the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. For
over 30 years the movement has worked to end hunger and has supported
actions to stop the globalization of the economy, restrictions to the
movements of people, end exploitation and the destruction of the earth
and its beings.
The first group was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1980
by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer
organization dedicated to nonviolent social change. Food Not Bombs has
no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making
process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and
makes fresh hot vegan and vegetarian meals that are served in outside in
public spaces to anyone without restriction. Many Food Not Bombs groups
also share groceries and organize other efforts to support their
communities. Each independent group also serves free meals at protests
and other events.
The San Francisco Police arrested 9 volunteers for making a
political statement at the entrance to Golden Gate Park on Monday,
August 15, 1988. The San Francisco Police made over 1,000 arrests from
1988 to 1997 in government's effort to silence its protest against
the city's anti- homeless policies. Amnesty International states it
will adopt those Food Not Bombs volunteers that are convicted as
"Prisoners of Conscience" and will work for their unconditional
release.
When news spread about the arrests in San Francisco people were
inspired to start Food Not Bombs groups in their own communities at
first in Seattle, Washington, Victoria British Columbia, New York City,
New York and Washington D.C. After police made another 300 arrests in
the summer of 1989 after shutting down a 27 day occupation in support of
the homeless new chapters started in most of the major cities of Canada
and the United States as well as in London, England, Prague
Czechoslovakia and Melbourne, Australia. Those arrested ended when a
huge earthquake cut off the power and gas on October 17, 1989 . Police
discovered that the only meals available to them were being provided by
Food Not Bombs.
Food Not Bombs is often the first to provide
food and supplies to the survivors of disasters. Food Not Bombs was also
the first to provide hot meals to the rescue workers responding to
September 11th World Trade Center attacks. Food Not Bombs volunteers
were among the first to provide food and help to the survivors of the
Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Our volunteers organized a national
collection program and delivered bus and truckloads of food and supplies
to the gulf region becoming the only organization to share daily meals
in New Orleans after Katrina.
Food Not Bombs provided the
meals for the protesters at many occupations including Camp Casey
outside Bush's ranch in Texas, at a 100 day occupation in Kiev, Ukraine
during the Orange Revolution, at a two month Peace Camp on the west Bank
in Palestine and at a 600 day farmer's occupation in Bosnia and
Herzegovina Square in Sarajevo. Volunteers also helped organize and
shared meals at the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle and provide logistical
support for many other anti-globalization actions. Food Not Bombs
groups started animal rescue shelters in 24 cities in Slovokia. We are
also sharing meals at protests responding to the global economic crisis.
As the global economy was starting to collapse the city of
Orlando passed a law restricting the sharing of meals with the hungry.
The Orlando Police arrested Food Not Bombs volunteer Eric Montanez on
April 4, 2007. Many other America cities also introduced laws to
discourage the feeding of the hungry and Food Not Bombs volunteers were
arrested in Nevada, Connecticut and several other states. Eric was found
innocent and Food Not Bombs challenged the law in Federal Court. After
winning at the district level the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rule
that Orlando could restrict Food Not Bombs to twice a year per park. The
city started arresting the volunteers for sharing meals at Lake Eola
Park on June 1, 2011 but stopped when the mayor agreed to let Food Not
Bombs continue it's meals outside City Hall. Volunteers were also being
arrested for sharing meals in Minks, Belaruse.
Food Not Bombs
works in coalition with groups like Earth First!, The Leonard Peltier
Defense Committee, Anarchist Black Cross, the IWW, Homes Not Jails, Anti
Racist Action, Farm Animal Rights Movement, In Defense of Animals, the
Free Radio Movement and other organizations on the cutting edge of
positive social change and resistance to the new global austerity
program. Food Not Bombs is now preparing for the economic crash
organizing Food Not Lawns community gardens, housing the homeless with
Homes Not Jails, organizing additional meals each week while starting
new Food Not Bombs chapters in as many communities as possible.
Many groups also organize Really Really Free Markets giving
away all kinds of items for free, and may also organize Bikes Not Bombs
programs collecting and repairing used bicycles to provide to people in
low-income communities. We also provide meals to protesters at the
Democratic and Republican National Conventions in the United States and
have provided meals to the families of striking workers including the
Republic Window and Door occupation in Chicago, hospital workers strikes in San Francisco
and at many auto workers
strikes in South Korea. Food Not Bombs also help organize actions
encouraging alternatives to the failure of capitalism including the wave
of occupations that started in 2011.
Along with organizing the celebration each local chapter collects and
distributes food every week and there are several other projects that
support the Food Not Bombs movement. One collective called "A Food Not
Bombs Menu." is organized as a global coordination office helping people find or start local chapters. They also
maintain the website www.foodnotbombs.net, organize tours and support
Food Not Bombs gatherings. They also provide books, t-shirts and other
materials to promote the principles of Food Not Bombs. We hope you will
join us in taking direct action towards creating a world free from
domination, coercion and violence. Food is a right, not a privilege.
Please visit these pages to find out how you can help us work
for peace and justice.
MAJOR EVENTS IN THE
HISTORY OF FOOD NOT BOMBS
The Three Principles of Food Not Bombs
You are also invited to visit:
THIRTY YEARS OF COOKING FOR PEACE - a
short history of the Food Not Bombs
Movement
A NEW BOOK ABOUT FOOD NOT BOMBS
HUNGRY FOR PEACE - How you can help end poverty and war with Food Not Bombs
Food
Not Bombs
P.O. Box 424, Arroyo Seco, NM 87514 USA
575-770-3377
1-800-884-1136
menu@foodnotbombs.net
www.foodnotbombs.net
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