Local Activists Sleep in Park in Protest

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photos by John Garcia

A group of activists have set up camp in the southwest corner of Monroe Park, complete with sleeping bags, tents, and even a couch, to protest the proposed Park renovations.

The renovation plans, announced by City Councilman Charles Samuels in September, include new lighting and drainage for the park, turning the central Checker’s house into a cafe, installing a play ground, along with other projects totaling about $7.8 million. Proponents of renovation say the park is run down and dangerous; that it's been taken over by the homeless and is in dire need of repair.

A similar “sleep-in” protest was held in the late ‘90s to support the homeless in the park. People slept there for 3 days as a sign of solidarity. Proposed renovation fell by the way side then, though a lack of money, not public out-cry, was blamed for the failure to improve the park.

Herbert Joyner, who has been camping in the park for the last two days, argue the park just needs some minor repairs, and that these renovations are an attempt to gentrify the park by the VCU and the city, to drive out the homeless.

“VCU does not own Richmond, Virginia. They bought up all the property that’s around this park, and Mr. Monroe that’s on the statue right up here, he donated this park for the people. They have been trying to run us off for years and years.”

The park was purchased by the city about 140 years ago. Most of the original park construction, such as the cement path ways and outer walkways, remain unchanged from the original turn of the century design by . The last renovations to the park were completed about five years ago and consisted of renovating the central fountain.

LeLonnie Colmes, another protestor, took issue with the renovation forcing the park closed for nine to 18 months, as estimated by Samuels, leaving the homeless who stay there with no place to go and disrupting feeding groups, like Food Not Bombs.

“This is the only place that they really have to congregate during the day. Without this, like, there’s not any place for churches or Food Not Bombs or anything like that to do feedings, anything like that, or even just for them to hang out in a place that’s not stuck in front of the direct public at all times …”

The protest has also attracted a number of VCU students, like Nicholas, a sophomore who asked that his last name not be used for fear of losing his scholarship.

“I don’t want to see the homeless people get kicked out of this park. Because when they get kicked out of the park, with the large fence they plan on building, they’re gonna go into the VCU area, they’re going to go into the business district, the Fan, wherever, and then they’re gonna get arrested, and they’re gonna go to the city jail.

According to Colmes, the protesters will continue to camp out in the park for as long as they can.

‘The longer we’re here, the more … people are going to hear about it, and the more they’re going to have to take sides, and actually evaluate their views on what’s going on and take a side, and figure out what this actually means to them and raise their awareness about it, and show them we’re actually serious, we’re not just a bunch of dirty punk kids hanging out on a couch in Monroe Park.”

The city has yet to finalize the Monroe Park Master Plan, which would guide renovation. Samuels has said keeping the park open during renovation would multiply, not just increase costs of renovation. Funding has also been an issue for the renovation plan. Samuels told RVANews the city would cover about $3 million of the plan for underground pipe-work, but the rest of the estimated $7.8 million will have to come from private donors.

Party in the Park 2011 Coverage

Locals from every walk of life gathered in Monroe Park last Saturday. The event, spread by Facebook and word of mouth, was held to celebrate the 1000th signature on a petition to keep the historic forum open during the planned renovations.

The planned park renovation would close every section of the park for 9-months to a year. The party in the Park was a public demonstration to show concern for the park as a community center, and support those who need it most.

Alan Harrelson, a Richmond Native, has been coming to public feedings on Sundays at Monroe park for years. He collected over 500 of the 1000 signatures through an online and written petition, getting signatures from those who don't have internet access.

"This is the last place that the homeless have in this whole city to be at. They have chased them from place to place to place to place around this town and this is the last place. And if they take this, there's no place else to go."


Public feedings were the hot topic . Some groups have been feeding the needy for decades.

Cassandra Carter helps the needy with New Jerusalem International Christian ministries one Sunday a month. From Chesterfield, Carter said her and her group help in any way they can.

"We just come to talk to those in need, we come to minister to them, if its prayer they need or feeding, whatever they need that we can be a help to them because we are trying to reach out into the community to see if we can actually get them in a place were they are stable and able to have a place to go and get a job."

New Jerusalem is one of many churches that come to lend a hand.

Peggie Sterling, of the MCC Social Justice Committee, said the homeless weren't the only reason to stand up for a free and open park.

"People come here to gather as a community. We've gotten to know many of the people and some of them have come to our church after we have been here. This is just a necessary place for people to gather, there is no other place."

Music was a big part of the gathering. Local party-regulars No BS Brass Band were on hand to lend a note or two. The brass ensemble lead a parade through the park. In tow, the All Saints Theater Company, one of the sponsors of the event, were clad in rat costumes and paper mache rat masks.

A performance by All Saints lead to a brief lecture series, highlighted by a satyrical presentation by Eric Scott, local Wingnut, and a Monroe Park Campaign Organizer, dressed as Fan District Councilman Charles Samuels.

Samuels has taken the most criticism for the park renovations.

Scott said the dramatization was in jest, but supported by fact.

"I think that its important to show people that these things are ridiculous but they are in there. and they need to be addressed. because, wile the real Charles Samuels wont come out and say it just like that, that's what he's saying by his actions. That's the direction the Monroe Park Advisory council and some parts of city council are going in."

Some spectators to the event were folks who just saw the ruckus and stayed for the music.

Sunny Gilderman, a VCU grad, remembered Monroe Park fondly and came to see her old stomping grounds. Coincidentally, the former Director of Emergency services for the Homeless in Richmond stumbled upon the event. She frowned upon the idea of closing the park for an extended period of time.

"Its another example of lack of provision for those in need and a loss of services and NOT a comparable alternative offered by the city of other authorities so... not cool. At all. "

The arts were well represented at the celebration. Gull, a local masked multi-instrumentalist rode in the bed of a silver truck as it sped around Monroe Park, blaring his unique musical style.


Julie Karr, with a 'K,' played a more mellow song for the crowd.

She sympathized with the feeding programs in the park.

"I think displacing lots of people and feeding programs that have been here for almost 20 years is something we can NOT do and i think its preventable. I think having at least part of the park open allows for things like this, like whats going on today and I'd like to see more of this in general."

In the end, Just Plain Ant, of Just plain Sounds, a local hip hop collective, saw hope in numbers.

"We picked a beautiful day to do this. And i hope the efforts of today help the cause. And with the amount of people here, it should."

For Richmond Independent Radio News, I'm Brad Kutner with Danny Rathbun.