report from PTH Civil Rights protest at Penn Station on Tuesday

Picture the Homeless's Civil Rights Campaign held a hot protest at Penn Station on Tuesday, protesting police harassment and displacement during this cold winter.  Police have been putting up yellow crime-scene tape late at night in the Amtrak and NJ Transit areas, then forcing people to leave the top level.

PTH members wrapped themselves in fake yellow police tape, and spoke with workers, commuters, and other homeless people about the issue, and encouraged them to contact Amtrak management in support of PTH's cause.  They said that the only crime being committed there was throwing struggling people into the cold.  Homeless people want an end to the police posting of crime-scene tape and a stop to the removal of people from the area.  

Member-leader Bernard said: "Why are the police targeting homeless people, throwing us out of Penn Station into the cold winter, when we're not bothering anybody?  They can't get away with sweeping away community members like this.  We're here to fight for justice."

Member-leader Mrs. A. Henry said: "The police pushing people around, banging loudly to wake people desperately trying to catch a bit of sleep -- it's unacceptable. They try to isolate homeless people from the rest of the community, but our action at Penn Station was a great success. Homeless people we hadn't met before supported the protest and asked about getting involved -- so did merchants and workers and commuters passing by, stopping to listen and asking for information about how they could support Picture the Homeless."

[PHOTOS: BRANDON KING]