Housing advocacy team occupying Fife motel leaves right after police arrive

FIFE, Wash. — A group of people today experiencing homelessness that was staying in a Fife motel with no paying out for the rooms has remaining the house, according to law enforcement.

The team was organized by advocacy organization Tacoma Housing Now, which booked 16 rooms at a Travelodge in Fife, and paid for one particular night time on Christmas Eve.

Nevertheless, the group refused to go away and pressured the metropolis and county government to stage up and pay back the invoice.

On Wednesday morning, 6 times just after the team moved in, Fife police purchased the non-shelling out Travelodge friends to go away the residence, at the ask for of motel operator Shawn Randhawa.

All these guests “voluntarily still left,” in accordance to a statement from Fife Law enforcement Main Peter Fisher.

Tacoma Housing Now spokesperson Rebecca Parson agreed that all remaining devoid of key incident, but disputes the city’s characterization of “voluntary.”

“It really is a overall joke and an Orwellian use of the word ‘voluntary,’ because the law enforcement had been at the hotel threatening men and women with felonies, and they’re now likely on the record in information articles or blog posts stating they could possibly cost us with felonies,” she said. “So I don’t know what earth we are living in where threatening someone with felonies if they you should not go away, and then they go away, is that voluntary? Of study course not. It was not voluntary.”

A prison investigation into the men and women who illegally occupied the motel is ongoing, Fife Law enforcement claimed, and it could involve felony costs.

Parson stated the team does not approach to return to the motel. Tacoma Housing Now beforehand occupied an outdated middle college in the place.

Right before police arrived, Fife Town Supervisor Hyun Kim stated in a letter that the town secured non permanent shelter for the members of the team. The Tacoma Rescue Mission made available shelter beds and transportation, in accordance to Kim.

Community health and fitness officers also made available support to men and women who mentioned they had COVID-19, according to Fisher.

Five people today are thought to have COVID now, Parson explained, which include 3 organizers with the team. She spoke though quarantining at home for the reason that she could have been uncovered.

Fisher mentioned the town now has treatments in area to make certain that if something like this were being to take place once again, it would be achieved with “swift and selected steps.”

In a phone simply call with KING 5, Kim claimed there was an work to safe lodge vouchers, but it did not appear as a result of. He mentioned other accommodations had been “spooked” by the group’s steps.

Parson beforehand stated the team wouldn’t depart right until their requires had been satisfied, including that the town and county fork out the Travelodge proprietor for the unpaid evenings. Wednesday, she said most of the 43 folks keeping there had been back again in encampments.

She also famous the team had acquired loss of life threats just after some Twitter buyers picked up the tale, saying a link to Antifa. A handful of protestors with American and Trump 2020 flags came to wave signs in front of the Travelodge in the afternoon immediately after everyone cleared out.

Connected: Homeless advocacy group occupies Fife motel, phone calls for city and county to foot the monthly bill