Update Occupy Charlotte,NC
The city council in Charlotte, NC is reviewing a draft ordinance that would prohibit camping on city property. Like other cities across the country that have proposals for dealing with the Occupy movement, this will prevent the occupiers a place for around the clock protest. Their claim is that this has come about because of the Democratic National Convention being held in Charlotte, NC in 2012.
To me this nothing more than an excuse to move the occupiers out of Charlotte and limit their free speech rights to a certain time of the day.
Since when does free speech revolve around a clock?
The draft ordinance would consider camping on all city property a "public nuisance." It would also prohibit possession of "noxious" substances, along with items such as pipes, chains or padlocks if their intended use would be to block a street, sidewalk or building entrance.
The city has defined a noxious substance as being anything that is "harmful or destructive or foul or offensive to human beings," including "garbage, trash, refuse, animal parts or fluids, manure, urine, feces or other organic waste by-products.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/...
Not sure if this would include the tea party or not? Maybe I should check?
There is a question of weather this would be grandfathered in to affect the OC presence. The space in front of the Old City Hall is considered a public forum space. The city doesn't have any rules against camping on Old City Hall grounds where OC site is now. The location is only a couple of blocks away from the DNC 2012 site. Rumors are going around about the city trying to move them to another location not so close to the convention site but that may just rumors.
But Republican commissioner Bill James says he thinks the rules aren't adequate enough to handle the large number of protesters who could come for the DNC.
For example, he says the policy doesn't specify when a person could face arrest for violating policies. He'd also like a procedure set up during the convention for alerting police if a park employee or volunteer finds someone violating the rules.
James said the lack of available hotel rooms during the convention could lead to "an attack on Mecklenburg County's park system."
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/...
Yes! Bill the hoards are coming to take over! Here’s whom Bill is afraid of.
http://goqnotes.com/...
http://www.examiner.com/...
http://obspapertrail.blogspot.com/...
Sorry to say he’s my commissioner! That’s a whole other story…
City police are under going riot training for DNC 2012; so far police and Occupy Charlotte have been respectful of each other. Only two arrests have occurred while OC has been up and running. The city however has refused the request for port a potties at the occupy site.
The site is well maintained with about twenty-five tents and kitchen area. There is anywhere between 50 to 75 occupiers at a time with that swelling to hundreds at their meeting and protest marches. Please give their facebook a thumb up.
OC facebook
http://www.facebook.com/...