How about the definition of “cruelty”? The law itself is unjust. It’s bananas to me that someone can be criminalized for seeking shelter in good faith. She wasn’t destroying that area or stealing (except some electricity). She needed shelter. I learned in kindergarten that we need food, water, and shelter. Didn’t you learn those as needs? If not, maybe you really are the ignorant one.
It’s not “kind” to simply not enforce a cruel law. It’s just not being as cruel as they could be. Just because they could’ve abused their power more and didn’t, doesn’t make them good. It just makes them less shit.
My work had people squatting under the awnings at at night. We let them as long as they didn’t make a mess and left while we were open. I gave them coffee sometimes. They could have just ignored the situation or told her she couldn’t have the extension cord. Like genuinely, as a real human to human interaction, that’s what they should’ve done.
If she’d been a squirrel or some pigeons, they would’ve probably left her alone. Because we can understand that animals need shelter.