Homeless advocates are protesting a Cranston ordinance that makes it illegal to panhandle. Advocates call the ban unconstitutional and argue that for some homeless people, panhandling is the only source of income. Demonstrators are gathering at an intersection near Garden City and are panhandling as a form of protest.
The Homeless Bill of Rights Defense Committee organized the protest. The group aims to decriminalize homelessness.
The committee is credited with the 2012 passage of the first Homeless Bill of Rights in the Country. The legislation seeks to protect the homeless from housing and employment discrimination.