Amber Whitson & Friends Arrested

The Albany Police Department's Media Bulletin for Thursday May 29 includes the following report [my transciption]:

"Occurred at Area 5 on Buchanan, Albany. Officers provided support for Public Works with the clean-up of an illegal camp at the bulb.  Three individuals were contacted at the camp and determined to be illegally lodging.  The subjects were arrested for 647(e) PC, and later transported to Alameda County jail.  Officers stood-by as the camp was cleared.  Personal property was removed from the camp for storage.  Numerous needles were collected from the camp and turned over to the fire department for proper disposal.  Two dogs present at the camp were secured without incident and have been turned over to Berkeley Animal Control services for care and safety.  The three subjects arrested were identified as LEWIS, Phillip [DOB omitted - ed.]; WHITSON, Amber [DOB omitted - ed.] and EISENBERG, ERIK [DOB omitted - ed.].  Disposition:  Arrest Made."

647(e) of the Penal Code provides as follows:

"647. Except as provided in subdivision (l), every person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor:
. . .
(e) Who lodges in any building, structure, vehicle, or place, whether public or private, without the permission of the owner or person entitled to the possession or in control of it."

Who is Erik Eisenberg?  That is the legal name of the man who called himself 'Ayr' and who served as the main spokesman for the Berkeley tree-sitters several years ago - I have no way to verify they are the same person but it looks likely. 

I hope that the many people who cheered Amber along her path will pitch in and help her with both advice and resources to put her life in order.  She will need help to avoid losing her income and health insurance, and to do whatever else she needs to do to start caring properly for herself and her loved ones.  The needles scattered about her camp suggest that her life on the Bulb may not have been the healthful idyll that was portrayed. 

The time has come for a realistic discussion of how we can help people in crisis - in more positive ways than offering them public places in which to destroy themselves.  Albany Housing Advocates: any chance you can move past your Whitson v. Albany litigation, and start working with the community on measures that can earn broad support ?