City of Pensacola staff and Mike Kimberl met Monday afternoon to discuss the weekly meal share at Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza. This was days after Kimberl, an advocate for homeless issues and co-founder of the Pensacola Food Not Bombs chapter, was arrested and charged for resisting an officer and violating city ordinance — both are misdemeanors.
Food Not Bombs Pensacola is a “leaderless collective,” as they describe themselves online. Kimberl met with city staff as a private citizen. It was a “nice conversation,” he said. However, the city wants the meal share to be permitted.
Kimberl fears a permit would be a “slippery slope” for the Pensacola chapter. The meal share has existed every Friday evening since 2011. He said it is not an event, but a protest.
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“It’s a protest against militarism,” he said. “And to show alternative ways to help a community. It’s why we picked MLK Plaza.”
“It’s our First Amendment right to be there,” he said.
In an email statement, Assistant Public Information Officer Dominique Epps said the meeting was productive.
“They discussed ways to continue the community event at MLK Plaza while ensuring the necessary documentation is in place to support safety and provide clarity regarding key details such as points of contact, event dates and times, proper notification to city staff, and more,” the email said.
Kimberl was also provided with a park rental agreement to discuss with the Food Not Bombs collective for future events.
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Food Not Bombs meal share was set up when Pensacola Police Officer William Roper told Kimberl it was against city ordinance to hold an event after sunset. When the officer asked Kimberl for identification, he refused. Kimberl was then handcuffed and taken to jail.
During his weekly press conference on Monday morning, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said he did not believe the officer nor Kimberl had any ill intent, and he wanted a “harmonious conclusion.”
“There was a handshake deal 14 years ago, and I’ve tried to do my best for the sake of both parties to get rid of handshake agreements and have some clarity,” he said.
“This is an effort that’s important to our community,” the mayor added. “Helping our homeless community is important, and we do applaud those efforts of folks that are wanting to do that.”
The mayor also said he watched Officer Roper’s bodycam video shortly before the press conference and stood “fully by our officer and his professionalism and his conduct throughout this particular incident.”
After the arrest, there’s been an outpour of support for Kimberl and the Food Not Bombs weekly meal.
“It’s been overwhelming,” Kimberl said. “I love my community.”
Outside of the winter months, the weekly meals are usually finished by sunset. Kimberl said he’s seen officers walk past the meal share before.
Food Not Bombs and Kimberl have had prior incidents with the city. In 2017, the chapter challenged a city ordinance that banned panhandling. In 2022, Kimberl was arrested for allegedly cutting the lock off a porta-potty at MLK Plaza.
The Food Not Bombs Pensacola chapter was established during the Occupy Wall Street protests. Kimberl said volunteers took a “crash course on cooking for hundreds of people.” The meals continued.
Kimberl credits this period as the start of his work and advocacy for the unhoused population. He’s now the director of the Alfred-Washburn Center, as well as the co-founder of Sean's Outpost Satoshi Forrest.
The meal share is different from his other work. It’s special, he said. It's also a lifeline for those in need of a hot meal. The number of people lining up has increased in recent months.
Which is why he’ll be out there again this Friday, setting up and ready to serve.
“They’re not clients, they’re friends,” he said. “Anyone can come and join our picnic.”
