TULSA, Okla. — Volunteers with Tulsa Food Not Bombs are speaking to 2 News Oklahoma after an event on May 6 resulted in four arrests and six citations.
The City of Tulsa said they are operating without a proper permit. The group disagrees.
Tulsa Food Not Bombs describes itself as anti-war demonstrators who provide mutual aid in the form of weekly meal handouts at Archer and Maybelle in downtown Tulsa.
“When our money is going to bomb places like Gaza, we would rather see that money go to feeding our neighbors,” explains Eryn Obanion.
WATCH: Tulsa Food Not Bombs protestors speak about arrests, incident
When multiple Tulsa police officers showed up to their most recent food handout, the volunteers say it was the first time they had ever shown up.
“We have been able to do this with no issue whatsoever for nearly six years,” said Ana Barros.
Police say when they tried to cite them for not having a special events permit, four people were arrested for hindering the process.
The group describes the situation differently.
For example, police say Savanna Davis was arrested for trying to flee the scene.
Barros says Davis was trying to clean up.
“She’s literally holding a bin full of supplies that she had just cleaned up to comply with their order, and they pull both of her hands behind her back and arrest her,” said Barros.
Police arrested John Momberg for obstruction. They say he “physically intervened during the detention of an individual.”
According to Momberg, he was asking a question.
“I was asking what was going on,” said Momberg. “At that point, I was wrapped up and handcuffed and thrown into a police car.”
In a statement, the City of Tulsa says they have engaged with the group 20 times, including a meeting, notifying them of permitting requirements. It also states that the group has a history of blocking the street and leaving trash.
The group refutes the claims, telling 2 News they have only communicated with a city employee a handful of times, with the last time being last year. They also say they do not impede the roadway.
Both sides confirm that an in-person meeting happened once.
A Special Events permit would cost Tulsa Food Not Bombs upwards of $13,000 a year, and a lot of red tape. Aside from that, the group does not believe they need a permit because demonstrations on sidewalks are exempt from the requirement.
In a statement, Tulsa police said their “distribution equipment and lack of traditional demonstration materials” make it an event requiring a permit.
Barros is most surprised that the conflict is happening under this leadership. She says she has worked with Mayor Monroe Nichols on several projects, including his campaign.
“I was a major part of getting him elected, and I stand in front of City Hall to say I am really disappointed,” she said.
“We are going to keep showing up for our community the way we have for the last six years,” said Obanion. “We also would like the charges dropped.”
The group is hoping legal victories for Food Not Bombs in other cities, which include rulings that food sharing is protected under the First Amendment, will allow them to continue their grassroots efforts and keep them out of court.
2 News has requested the body camera footage to shed more light on what happened that night.
Here is additional information from Tulsa Police regarding the arrests:
• Savanna Rose: Detained for attempting to flee the scene during the investigation.
• John Momberg: Arrested for physically intervening during the detention of another individual.
• Robert Miller: Arrested for obstruction after repeatedly breaching the safety perimeter despite clear warnings.
• John Rich: Arrested for resisting after interfering with a detainee’s belongings and ignoring police commands.
Six additional citations were issued for permit violations.
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