It’s very sad when someone is arrested for feeding hungry people, but that’s exactly what happened to Eric Montanez in Orlando, FL (HT: slactivist).

A long-simmering dispute between homeless advocates and Orlando officials intensified Wednesday with the arrest of an activist feeding transients in Lake Eola Park downtown.

Eric Montanez, 21, is the first to be arrested under the city’s controversial ordinance that bars feeding large groups of people in downtown parks without a special permit.

The rule was approved last summer after residents and businesses in Orlando’s gentrifying downtown complained that parks were being used as soup kitchens.

The arrest enraged volunteers, who said it was proof that the city cares little for its neediest residents.

“Police are arresting people for feeding the homeless,” local ACLU President George Crossley said. “This has been a truly disgusting day.”

Calls to Mayor Buddy Dyer and a city spokeswoman were not returned. Police spokeswoman Sgt. Barbara Jones said the arrest was warranted.

“Our job is to enforce the rules,” she said.

Homeless advocates and city officials have butted heads since the passage of the ordinance in July. The law bars groups from feeding more than 25 people without a special permit. Groups may have two permits per year.

The Central Florida ACLU filed suit in Orlando’s U.S. District Court in October arguing the ordinance is unconstitutional. Meanwhile, activists skirted the rule by having several organizations host the weekly Lake Eola meals, and making sure no one group served more than 25 people.

Police kept close tabs, sometimes taking photos and ticketing volunteers’ cars.

{…}

Undercover officers filmed the food line, meticulously counting Montanez serving “30 unidentified persons food from a large pot utilizing a ladle,” according to an arrest affidavit.

Police approached Montanez and asked for his identification. They considered issuing him a summons on the misdemeanor count, but when he tossed his ID, police took him into custody, the affidavit says.

Jonathan Giralt, 16, a Boone High School junior who was near Montanez, disagreed with the police account. He and other volunteers said the activist showed his ID and complied with police orders.

“I was like, OK, this guy [Montanez] is going to be arrested for absolutely nothing,” Jonathan said. “It makes me feel unsafe.”

Police also collected a vial of stew as evidence.

Montanez remained in the Orange County Jail late Wednesday with bail set at $250.

How can these cops sleep at night? I know that cities have soup kitchens and shelters, but the unfortunate truth is that it isn’t enough. I live in Denver, and our Rescue Mission sleeps about 800 people a night–but not all of those are what most would consider “homeless” because more than half of them are either residents of our long term program or families living in transitional housing. We only have about 200 beds for actual shelter. And the Denver metro area has around 10,000 homeless people in it. Helping only 2% of the homeless population is a great great thing…but it’s only 2%. There are a lot more folks out there who need help, and there are people out there, like Eric Montanez, who are willing to give it. And the local governments are trying to take that away.

Their solution? Send them to the shelters. If all the homeless who were fed on the streets of Denver showed up at the Rescue Mission shelter, they would either be turned away because there was no room or the fire marshall would shut the place down for having too many people. It’s a lose-lose solution.

Slacktivist gave a great protest idea:

I’d suggest it’s time for some of Orlando’s Christian churches to begin celebrating the Lord’s Supper in Lake Eola Park, preferably in groups of larger than 25.

I wholeheartedly support that idea, and I hope that some churches in Orlando will step up.