ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Ashland man turned activist says he’s willing to get arrested repeatedly to bring attention to what he believes are unfair city laws against camping in public places.
So far this week, the Ashland Daily Tidings reports (http://bit.ly/JZgItc), 23-year-old Keith Haxton has racked up three citations for sleeping on a park bench in the downtown Plaza of the tourist and theater town and a charge of interfering with a police officer.
Haxton says he worked as a teacher’s aide in high school and then went to college before he ran out of money and became homeless a year ago.
His protest is the latest turn in the city’s debate over how to treat street people. Recently, business leaders and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival have expressed concern about aggressive panhandlers.
