Food Not Bombs still set to face court showdown over trespass arrests

Photo Courtesy of Food Not Bombs

Two volunteers for the Kansas City chapter of Food Not Bombs (FNBKC) were arrested by KCPD on Jan. 4, during one of the organization’s many Sundays dedicated to feeding the community. The arrest video gained national attention and called the arrest’s legitimacy into question. Almost a year later, Wolfgang and Michael have a court date set for Oct. 7 to fight the charges and fight for the future of Food Not Bombs.

FNB is a national outreach movement that aims to reduce food waste while providing vegan and vegetarian meals to the community. It is completely volunteer-led and identifies as a community, rather than a non-profit company.

“We are not a charity but dedicated to taking nonviolent direct action.”

For over 13 years, FNBKC has brought warm meals every Sunday to the people of Kansas City, built on donations and volunteer manpower.

Recent reports find that Kansas City is facing record-high levels of hunger and food insecurity. Harvesters’ recent report found that one in seven of Kansas City’s adults is at risk of hunger. That is approximately 64,000 residents worried about where their next meal might come from.

Even more concerning is that one in five of the city’s children face food insecurity, totaling almost 26,000.

With the reduction of federal food benefits like SNAP and the rising cost of groceries, FNBKC acts as a salve for this growing issue. By using donated ingredients and food that would otherwise be thrown away, along with community gardens, the movement also tackles the American food waste problem, despite KCPD’s intervention.

Michael and Wolfgang returned to serving the community every weekend soon after their arrest. “I haven’t missed a Sunday,” Michael tells *The Pitch* in a recent interview.

FNBKC continued to do business as usual on the same block, just a little farther down the street, but the arrest had surprising ramifications.

“We had our hackles up,” Wolfgang explains, “a lot of our regulars lost contact with us for some months, even though we continued service right down the street.”

“Parents became nervous bringing their kids around because they were scared the police were going to come back,” Michael adds. 

With many months between the arrest and the trial, Wolfgang reflects on how the organization could have handled the situation during the arrest, “I wish we had been more paranoid; we lost a lot of context of that specific day leading up to the arrest.”

Michael agrees, but adds that FNBKC did a great job under stressful circumstances during the day of the arrest. “We handled it very well; it brought our group closer together.”

Both Wolfgang and Michael plan to fight the charges in court on the platform that they were not told they were being trespassed. Details on who trespassed the pair are still unclear, and both hope that becomes evident in court.

Photo Courtesy of Food Not Bombs

Similarly, KCPD has not made dashcam and bodycam footage available to the defense. KCPD claims there is no footage of the arrest; however, Michael recalls one officer stating, “I warned you twice, and it’s on bodycam.”

Many details around the arrest and the validity of the trespassing charge have been and will be called into question during the upcoming municipal trial on Oct. 7. Both defendants are preparing to not only advocate for themselves, but for the community as a whole.

“It doesn’t feel like this is about trespassing,” Wolfgang claims.

“Surrounding business owners want a simple solution to a systemic issue the police won’t solve,” Michael asserts. Businesses in the area served by FNBKC have claimed that it attracts people without housing and promotes littering. “The people are already here, and we have been making efforts to leave the block better than we have found it.”

Before the FNBKC arrests, another hot-meal volunteer group, Free Hot Soup, was stopped by the Kansas City Health Department, which poured bleach on all the food in 2018. These actions from Kansas City workers call into question the reasoning behind the harassment of volunteer groups.

Rumored company policies have been leaked that surrounding store employees are not to serve FNBKC volunteers and not to take free meals during service, despite some employees previously using FNBKC’s services. The hostility and upholding of the trespassing charges have surprised both defendants: “It’s a wider societal problem. They aren’t used to dealing with us, since we don’t have a leader,” Wolfgang states, “we are leaderless and leaderful.”

The pair feel they are properly represented and confident going into the trial. They will be represented by Claire Wyatt from Wyatt Law. The trial will be municipal, meaning there will be no jury. If things do not go their way at the local level, they are prepared to appeal and stand before a jury at the state level.

The trial will be open to public viewing on Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. both in person and via online stream. 

“We appreciate anyone who pays attention to this case,” Michael says.

Wolgang hopes the attention this trial draws will push people toward a more critical view of local law enforcement. 

“It’s bullshit, everyone can see it. It’s not cheap to send police out to step on us using tax dollars. I want people to rethink their concept of authority. We don’t need these guys. How does any of this help real people?”

After the trial ends at noon, Michael and Wolfgang plan to be outside the courthouse—answering questions and helping raise awareness—in hopes of rallying public support for the cause. 

“We are always seeking sources for donations, whether it’s a grocery store or an office with a couple of extra pizzas,” Michael says, “no donation is too small.”

Whatever a municipal judge rules on Oct. 7, Foot Not Bombs Kansas City will continue serving the community, as long as there is a community to serve. Don’t be surprised to find Michael and Wolfgang serving hot meals that very next Sunday, same as always, on the sidewalk of Independence Ave. and Monroe Ave.

Leaderless, leaderful.

Food Not Bombs will appear in court Oct. 7 at 10 am, Courtroom D at Kansas City Municipal Courthouse. For further updates and developments related to the case, follow The Pitch.