HONOLULU -- Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union are suing Honolulu over the way city officials are clearing out homeless encampments.
The attorneys filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday.
The complaint on behalf of residents of one of the nation's largest homeless encampments says people have lost food and valuable belongings in the sweeps.
City officials recently stepped up enforcement of rules that ban blocking or storing property on sidewalks. They cleared tents from a section of one of the nation's largest homeless encampments last week, and they plan to clear another small section Thursday.
Tourism is big business for the state. Visitors spend about $15 billion a year in Hawaii, according to Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
Honolulu first banned sitting and lying down in the visitor hotspot Waikiki last year after tourists complained about too many homeless people near the beach. The city gradually expanded the ban to more business districts.
Additional reporting by Mashable