Six people ticketed while protesting a Cranston ordinance that bans panhandling will have their day in municipal court Tuesday.
The Cranston ordinance slaps an $85 fine on any person caught panhandling. A supporter of the rule, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung has called the issue a matter of public safety.
Opponents argue the ordinance violates homeless Rhode Islanders’ right to public spaces and only hurts those for whom panhandling is a needed source of income.
Ticketed protestor with the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, Karen Jeffreys, said Tuesday’s court date is the first step in challenging the ordinance’s constitutionality.