First Amendment

Body Cam Video: Tulsa Police Arrest Food Not Bombs Volunteers for Feeding Homeless People

Food Not Bombs argues it has a First Amendment right to feed the needy without a permit. That's led to crackdowns and lawsuits around the country.

C.J. Ciaramella | 5.20.2026 6:30 AM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google

Media Contact & Reprint Requests

(Police Bodycam Footage / Tulsa Police Department)

Recently released body camera footage of an incident earlier this month shows police officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, ordering the anti-war group Food Not Bombs (FNB) to stop handing out meals to the homeless and arresting four activists after they insisted they had a First Amendment right to continue.

Local news outlets reported that Tulsa police arrested four members of the local FNB chapter on May 6 on charges including attempting to flee, obstruction, and resisting arrest. Six other volunteers were cited. The crackdown is the latest flare-up in what a 2023 Reason column called "an ongoing tug-of-war that pits public order against the First Amendment right to perform charity as a form of expression." Groups like FNB and Christian charities say feeding the needy is political and religious expression, while city governments say unpermitted food distribution is a public health concern and a nuisance.

The Tulsa chapter of FNB says it has been handing out hot meals on a weekly basis since 2020 without any problems. "We have been able to do this with absolutely no issue whatsoever for nearly six years," a Tulsa FNB........

© Reason.com