Somehow I managed to only record the audio from Junior's account of the incident at the Occupation site today.
This report coincides with what I understand was an exposee' by the local Fox affiliate, Fox 6, on the legality of the Birmingham Occupation site. Fox 6 reporters were present on scene more than once today. The story purportedly aired at 10 pm last evening - you'll be the first to hear once I've digested it.
The coincidence coaxes me to conjecture: I'm going to posit that the most likely approximate scenario places the "Detective" on site as a stir within the local department caused by media inquisition into Birmingham Police enforcement of possible illegal activity on the part of Occupy Birmingham.
Some of this is almost surely past pushing it (taken in early morning during last seriously inclement weather event.
If Fox did run such a story, we will certainly need intensified support on the ground. There is a waning enthusiasm for the On Site Occupation that worries me for our defensive solidarity.
For those not aware, the Occupiers at 5th and 20th North have been excommunicated by A Southern Company. The lights (street and now two conspicuously inornate Christmas wreaths among the colonnade of shimmering civic baubles) have been dead since the second day of the November 7th full time occupation. Repeated calls to the power company and a now two-week-old work order from the captain of building security have failed to inspire a Promethean effort on the part of Alabama Power.
I spoke with one of the guards this evening who agreed that while no conclusions could be drawn, the absence of light on our corner seemed a presaged accident.
Irrespective of external intent, the darkness has great potential to undermine the encampment's action as well as the occupiers' personal safety. After 5 pm it is now almost too dark to take photographs without considerable augmentation of illumination.
Just two blocks north, Linn Park shimmers like a Mormon temple.
We are here to bring light that chases away the ancient darkness of privilege by pecuniary status, greed visited on victims as poesy as ideology.
I would love to see everyone who can and has the necessary stuff to bring white Christmas lights and a few minutes to spare in stringing to the Downtown Birmingham occupation.
We'll light a brighter candle and chase back the darkness.
this is what we did in Manhattan the first time it got really cold and wet, at the McDonald's across Broadway from Zuccotti.
3:12 AM PT: Update: the Fox News report makes a point of establishing our currently "legal" status as far as city attorneys are concerned. I think this is good - traditional or culture-limited among the populace can understand that "no, this isn't a shit-kicker tantrum of reckless anarchist looters.