A couple days into the Laurelhurst eviction defense we walked around camp asking residents how they were feeling about our presence there.
Aid that doesn’t center the folks receiving it isn’t aid at all—their consent and input are absolute requirements. The unexpected outpouring of support at the park evolved faster than community consent did, so we made sure to check in to see where we needed to respond differently
As networks of support develop around community defense and sweep-stopping, we hope this experience + feedback remind us all to directly center the needs of the folks we are supporting in everything we do. Solidarity, not charity.