Operation: Art Camp – The Dark Side of the Fulton Street Renovation
By Zara Arboleda Jr.
Fresno, CA – In a bold redevelopment move, even by Fresno’s standards, residents of the Fulton mall have been placed in fenced-off, internment-style enclosures, unable to leave until they are physically displaced from their homes. In a show of civil disobedience, these tenants have remained silent throughout their ordeal, frozen with resolute looks on their faces, as if chiseled in stone.
Dubbed “Operation Art Camp” by Fresno PD, and under the guidance of Mayor Swearbear herself, this is a planned exodus of countless Fresnans who have called the Fulton Mall their home for over a half-century.
Jerry Dyer has had it out for these bronze bums for years. We all recall his belittling bust-up involving a nude ne’er-do-well on the Mariposa Mall. When sought for comment, the Chief was unavailable, citing his “…need to finish this last set of 200 curls.”
The Fulton Street redevelopment project has been heralded by some as the cure for Downtown’s woes. A who’s who of the Downtown Fresno élite showed up for the groundbreaking ceremony. Mayor Swearbear, in her outgoing address, spoke of the importance of having a downtown that is appreciated. And yet, as she has striven to make downtown better, perhaps she has neglected some of its most precious persons – the arts.
This isn’t the first time that Fresno has been the site of such human-rights violations. Finding the plight of the Fulton Fifteen reminiscent of the forced internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II, we reached out to local Japanese Internment Camp expert and peach farmer, David Mas-Masumoto, and asked him if he felt that this “Art Camp” was similar. His answer was, “No. Not at all. It’s nothing like that.”
Fresno, CA – In a bold redevelopment move, even by Fresno’s standards, residents of the Fulton mall have been placed in fenced-off, internment-style enclosures, unable to leave until they are physically displaced from their homes. In a show of civil disobedience, these tenants have remained silent throughout their ordeal, frozen with resolute looks on their faces, as if chiseled in stone.
This stoic member of the “Fulton Fifteen” has been caged in place, unable to move.
Dubbed “Operation Art Camp” by Fresno PD, and under the guidance of Mayor Swearbear herself, this is a planned exodus of countless Fresnans who have called the Fulton Mall their home for over a half-century.
Jerry Dyer has had it out for these bronze bums for years. We all recall his belittling bust-up involving a nude ne’er-do-well on the Mariposa Mall. When sought for comment, the Chief was unavailable, citing his “…need to finish this last set of 200 curls.”
The Fulton Street redevelopment project has been heralded by some as the cure for Downtown’s woes. A who’s who of the Downtown Fresno élite showed up for the groundbreaking ceremony. Mayor Swearbear, in her outgoing address, spoke of the importance of having a downtown that is appreciated. And yet, as she has striven to make downtown better, perhaps she has neglected some of its most precious persons – the arts.
This isn’t the first time that Fresno has been the site of such human-rights violations. Finding the plight of the Fulton Fifteen reminiscent of the forced internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II, we reached out to local Japanese Internment Camp expert and peach farmer, David Mas-Masumoto, and asked him if he felt that this “Art Camp” was similar. His answer was, “No. Not at all. It’s nothing like that.”
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