Anti-homeless spikes are inhumane!

Homelessness is one of the worst injustices within our society. Having a place to live should be a right not a privilege. Outside McDonald’s in Leeds, spikes have been installed, presumably to prevent people sleeping there. Anti-homeless spikes show complete disregard and lack of respect for homeless people who struggle every day.

Katharine Sacks-Jones, head of policy and campaigns at Crisis, said: “This is happening in a context where rough sleeping has gone up massively. Over the last three years rough sleeping has risen by 36% nationally… The reason for that increase is the continuing economic downturn, the housing shortage, and cuts to benefits, particularly housing benefit.”

I cannot imagine how painful and lonely it must be to be homeless. They deserve our attention and care. This issue cannot be ignored.

Please sign my petition now to tell McDonald’s and Leeds City Council to remove the spikes. If enough people sign, McDonald’s and the Council will see that the spikes are damaging McDonald’s reputation much more than homeless people sleeping in their doorway would do.