Voices of the Unhoused: Poor People's Army Sets Up Encampment Near RNC to Protest GOP Policies

In Milwaukee, Democracy Now! speaks with members of an unhoused encampment that's been set up just minutes from the site of the Republican National Convention to protest policies that have exacerbated poverty and a housing crisis nationwide. The encampment is organized by the Poor People's Army, which is also set to host a protest rally and march on the first day of the convention. Cheri Honkala, the national spokesperson for the Poor People's Army, also joins us in Milwaukee. "People are not surviving poverty in this country," Honkala says of the motivation behind the march, in which hundreds of protesters, many of whom are themselves struggling with homelessness, are expected to join.

[manuelbello]

And poor kids are also being abused by people of different classes

[timredd]

I can't believe this is the first time I've ever heard of this group. The lady that has been going for 30 years broke my heart.

[kimberleymansfield]

Thank you to all involved in Poor Peoples Army!

[sandrabeck]

Greetings from Berlin/Germany 🎉thank God, we have a functionating social welfare system here in Germany and I would advice America to install one, too !!
For example I get 1230 EUR every month from the social welfare as a disabled person, so I can pay my rent, food, nearly everything.
Poverty and homelessness anyway are high in Germany but the state helps you to get a hotel room for example and pays for it.
I am very glad and thankful to be born in Germany, love my country, and wish the great America to be up to date with social Infrastructure.
To have a SOCIAL CAPITALISM, as we have.
Greetings from Berlin 😊

[CowboyConan]

Poverty exists not because we don’t have enough to feed the poor but because we don’t have enough to satisfy the rich.

Homelessness in America was up 12% in 2023 while Airbnb vacation rental listings were up 18%. They are connected! Duh!

[amymadden]

So glad for the Poor People's Army, speaking this truth and making it visible. The abandonment of poor and working poor people, and the thousands of people who are unhoused in our country is shameful and the Democrats are equally neglectful.

[sarahhaley]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Thank you! OMG THANK YOU for being sane! Please and THANK YOU!!!

[brenkelly]

It reminds me when Reagan was governor of California, closed down the mental health hospitals, dumped them out on the streets, saved a lot of money, and kept them shut with the mental health-challenged people on the streets homeless and with no meds.

[e.]

THIS is Real Ppl Work! You Really Can't know Until you've Been there, & How Impossible it is to get out. Especially if anyone in the fam/you have health issues. THANK YOU FOR BRAVELY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST OVERALL POVERTY & THEFT OF THE POOR BY THE RICH💙👍🏼

[SimplyAwesomeness]

I'm not American, but I don't understand why so many people are living in tents. Americans pay more tax than the working class in my country, but our tax money is used to house people who are homeless. Only a few choose not to accept the government's help.

[Ryanlexz]

We gotta stop miltary industrial complex

[christinefury]

This is so true. People so easily slip through the cracks. It takes luck to really prosper, not just hard work.

[workingtoseethelight]

Infinite Blessings to the poor people's army. As someone who has been homeless too many times, may your work continue until victory. Your strength is amazing and inspiring. Thank you.

[Happy-uywc]

I too believe that we should be spending more money on the poor and less money on war. We should also be investing more money in our children's education. US children's test results are not as high as could be expected. 😢 I think that If we spent more money on public education then we would have fewer homeless people.

[omegabat]

Its a wild world. We require the poor to have money to live then actively make it harder to live with artifical barriers. Not even nature is that cruel. We some how saw natural selection and was like hold my beer.

[kevinwilliams]

excellent interview . Thanks Democracy Now for highlighting these peoples plight .

[j.r.p.]

The Mental Health issue is not really a Presidential created issue. The States defunded the mental institute in Oregon, for one. Why did they do that? The Governors seem to be the main cause for this issue . . . not the President. There needs to be a thorough audit of every States government, to include the Cities!!!

[glendockins]

Thanks For Sharing This Topic I Appreciate It Alot 👈👈👈👈👈👈👈👈👈👈👈

[beam-kitty]

Amy, when are you going to interview Jill Stein? What’s your problem with her, you’ve interviewed others, why not Jill?

[karenplante]

WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE CREATED...EQUAL??? NOT SO IN THIS SUPPOSEDLY RICH NATION! THIS IS A WAR!!!