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Mayor Buddy Dyer Drops Charges Against "Food Not Bombs" Members August 19, 2011 | WMFE - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says he will not pursue charges against members of the anti-poverty activist group Orlando Food Not Bombs. They were arrested for violating a city ordinance that restricts the serving of food to large groups. A series of trials were planned to begin Monday morning for the 25 members of Food Not Bombs arrested since June. That’s when the ordinance went into effect requiring groups to get a permit to serve food to 25 or more people in a public downtown park. Dyer announced Friday he’s dropping the charges against the members, who were arrested when they refused to comply with the ordinance. He said he’s making the move because Food Not Bombs agreed to move its weekly serving of meals outside City Hall. The ordinance was first passed in 2006, but it’s been tied up in appeals courts. The rule was in response to downtown business owners’ complaints about Food Not Bombs and similar groups serving free weekly meals in Lake Eola Park. The business owners said homeless people came for the meals and later caused littering and crime issues in the area. The activists could have faced up to $500 in fines, 60 days in jail, or both.
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