On Wednesday, Providence community members rallied at Kennedy Plaza for the Housing Now National Day of Action, calling on Mayor Brett Smiley to increase housing accessibility and take action against alleged police misconduct that occurred at the plaza.
The rally was organized by the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project, a group that advocates for housing policy reform. Protestors delivered a letter to Smiley’s office, outlining a number of demands, including that the Providence Police Department adopt a “disciplinary matrix” — a type of policy document outlining how law enforcement officers should handle different types of cases.
At the protest, RIHAP also outlined a ten-point “People’s Action Plan,” which includes demands for state construction of heavily-subsidized housing, a ban on “evictions, raids and destruction of tent encampments … until residents have viable housing alternatives,” and provide funding for walk-in shelters.
“We can end homelessness when we make compassionate and effective policy choices that invest in solutions that ensure that everyone has a safe and stable place to call home and to thrive and live healthy lives,” said Molly Richard, an assistant professor of public health at the University of Rhode Island, at the protest.
At the rally, acting director of RIHAP Eric Hirsch said an unhoused individual was knocked unconscious by police officers during an arrest at Kennedy Plaza in August.
“They really showed no concern about the fact that she was unconscious,” Hirsch said. “She could have been in the process of dying.”
According to Hirsch, the individual, who identifies as a transgender woman, is now being held on the men’s side of the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute.
According to PPD spokesperson Kristy DosReis, the individual was “picked up on an active warrant for a violent offense” and “not targeted for being unhoused.” An internal investigation into the arrest found that it was “consistent with departmental policies and procedures,” she wrote.
At the protest, Richard also noted the 2012 Rhode Island Homeless Bill of Rights.
“(The Bill) recognizes the rights and dignity of folks, but rights on paper are not enough,” Richard said. “They have to be meaningfully enforced, and the police and other officials responsible for regulating our public spaces have to be held accountable when they mistreat people and violate those rights.”
Legislation to update the bill to require that unhoused individuals are given a 15-day notice before an encampment is disbanded passed the House this spring but stalled in the Senate.
Terry Wright, an RIHAP volunteer, also delivered a speech on the secondary consequences of frequent interaction with police officers.
“Harassment makes it harder for people to access services, keep jobs and maintain staying healthy,” Wright said. “Harassment is not public safety, but an escalation of trauma.”
“Unhoused neighbors are our neighbors,” she added. “They are our friends, and they deserve respect.”
