Aberdeen man sits in front of city hall to protest new ordinance

A new ordinance in Aberdeen prohibits sitting and lying down on sidewalks during certain hours, but that hasn’t stopped some from sitting down in protest of it.

Mike Nelson, from Aberdeen, has spent much of the past three days sitting on the sidewalk in front of Aberdeen City Hall and around downtown to protest the ordinance, which allows police to fine anyone who sits or lies down on sidewalks in the city’s business improvement district between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.

This ordinance is intended to discourage homeless people from loitering and sleeping on downtown sidewalks and in building alcoves. Some council members say it will help clean up the downtown area and improve business. But Nelson and others speaking against it at city council meetings have said it’s unconstitutional and unfairly targets homeless people.

On Thursday morning, Nelson was sitting alone with his two kids in front of Aberdeen City Hall, carrying a sign that reads “Resting is not a crime” on one side, and “Poverty is not a crime” on the other.

By Friday afternoon, the group of protesters had grown substantially. Nelson said approximately 25 people had stopped to sit and protest with him over the course of Friday.

So far, he says most of those walking or driving by have been positive towards his efforts. Because he’s blind, Nelson said his kids tell him if drivers going by give a thumbs up or a more negative gesture.

“My kids kind of tell me whenever people wave, give thumbs up, or give the finger,” he said Thursday afternoon. “We’ve had a couple people give us the finger, one being a police officer in a car.”

One of the issues Nelson has with the ordinance is that he believes it unfairly targets homeless people. Nelson said if the purpose of the ordinance is just to prohibit certain behaviors, as some city officials have said, then it would need to be enforced on non-homeless people like him.

“The ordinance doesn’t say any behavior other than what I’m doing, sitting on the sidewalk or laying on the sidewalk,” he said. “If that’s the behavior you’re trying to eliminate, enforce it. Come enforce it on me, enforce it on my son, or a kid that’s playing Pokemon Go.”

Larry Murray, a friend of Nelson’s who joined in the protest, said he would challenge the ordinance in court for being unconstitutional if he were ever arrested for it.

“I’m going to of course be one of these people sitting out here, and the first time I get arrested we’ll take it to court,” he said.

Murray added that so far, police officers have been respectful towards their protests.

Nelson has posted on his Facebook page “Blind Justice” that he will be sitting outside city hall and elsewhere downtown again today and Sunday, and welcomes those who wish to join him.

When asked why he feels so strongly about this ordinance, Nelson said it was about “freedom” and his desire to uphold the constitution.

“I was in the military, and took an oath to uphold and defend the constitution. I have a heart for people who are hurting.”