At around 3:00pm I was at Occupy Providence (Facebook page) dropping off a few blankets and some hot chocolate mix. It is miserable, cold and rainy day here in New England and all our "Occupies" are dealing with it. (list of our encampments below)
The Great Pumpkin love our occupiers, camping out and as dedicated as they are, they make me wish I was young again! (although the only time I ever dealt with rain during a protest was once in front of Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant but it wasn't this heavy or this cold.). My crappy immune system won't allow me to do much, so I content myself with running supplies to two Occupies.
Anyway, the encampment at Burnside Park was abuzz, they had just been served a "Cease and Desist Order" by the City of Providence.
Page one of the order can be read here, page two here.
Depending the time the city is counting from OccupyProvidence will be evicted on Sunday. Though what time 3pm Sunday (time served), 12:01am Monday morning is not clear.
The notice states in part:
“You are hereby notified that Burnside Park located in Kennedy Plaza, Providence, Rhode Island and every city park in the City of Providence is open 7 days a week, 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time to 9:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Remaining in the park thereafter is illegal and the City of Providence will seek to enforce this ordinance and others that are listed below.”
There are the "no permit issues. I'll highlight others here with comments:
Rules 17.0
No person shall cast litter in and upon any portion of any park, playground or recreational area in the City of Providence.
Not only was there no trash loose any where (there is a bunch of bagged trash sitting next to a city park trash can), but at the other end of the park sits a bunch of filled lead bags.
This is New England, and we have trees, trees and more trees, it's also fall. So that yard and leaf waste doesn't clog our landfill we purchase special, heavy duty, huge, paper leaf/lawn bags. If the city had raked up these leaves (and they would and will) they would have just dumped them all into truck and taken them to a compost center ... but these leaves were bagged, so probably occupiers did this job for the city. And the bags were sodden, so these leaves were raked up a few days ago.
But the area IS litter free.
Section 8-18 Domestic Animals in Parks.
No person being the owner of having the charge or custody of any dog, cat, fowl, goat, swine or neat cattle, shall allow such dog, cat, fowl, goat, swine or neat cattle, to enter any public park or to remain therein.
I wonder how many of Providence's dog owners know that it is AGAINST THE LAW to walk their dog in a Providence park, leashed or not. When I got to the info tent, occupiers were joking that they should go get a pot bellied pig or find a cow just to make sure that they were really in violation of this law.
Section 23-29 -- Duty to Keep off the Grass
No person shall stand, lie wait. or walk on any grass growing upon any public land set apart and designated as and for public squares and grounds.
Really? Really? Are you guys just throwing out shit and seeing what sticks?
So you know that picnic you want to take your kids on in the park where you spread out the blanket on the grass then lie down and look at the clouds? Das ist verboten!
And that also means that when we stood on the grass at the capitol in the week after 9-11 for a candle light vigil, we were breaking the law.
The activists started camping Oct. 15 without a permit. They vowed as a group to stay, though some have said they will leave if evicted. - AP
There are at least 60 tents (sorry I didn't take my camera), they have a food tent, media tent and an info tent and they are organized. However with everyone huddled in their own tents to keep dry and warm, it was sort of quiet.
Enjoy the hot chocolate tonight y'all and thank you!
(action items below the sguiggle)
ACTION ITEMS:
Petition:
Mayor Angel Taveras and Public Safety Commissioner Paré: Allow Occupy Providence Movement to Stay in Burnside Park Indefinitely
Mayor Angel Taveras
25 Dorrance Street
Providence RI 02903
Phone: 401.421.7768
Fax: 401.455.8823
webpage - form
Hours of Operation:
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Point of additional interest:
Providence, RI will host Netroots Nation 2012. You may want to mention that to Mayor Taveras.
. . .just a thought . . .
.
-- New England Occupy ---
Occupy Providence(RI)
Occupy Boston (MA)
Occupy Salem, MA
Occupy Worcester (MA)
Occupy New Hampshire,
Occupy Vermont-Burlington
OccupyMaine
Occupy Keene (NH)
Occupy Massachusetts
Occupy Fitchburg (MA)
Occupy Hartford CT
Occupy New Haven (CT)
OCCUPY NORTHAMPTON(MA)
Occupy Springfield, MA
Occupy Vermont - Rutland
Occupy Fall River (MA)