I am sick and tired of the smearing of the Occupy protesters and liberals in general. Recently, here in Charlotte, NC, the Mayor (Democrat Anthony Foxx) has proposed an ordinance to restrict the OccupyCharlotte protests by making it illegal to camp on public property.
DNC-inspired ordinance could restrict Occupy protesters
The proposal comes as some cities are trying to evict "Occupy" protesters, including Oakland, Calif., where a protester was injured this week when police dispersed a crowd. In addition, Charlotte and Tampa, the host city for the Republican National Convention, are studying how to manage expected crowds and protests for next year's conventions.
As written, the draft ordinance deems camping on all city property a "public nuisance." Under the draft, it appears the Occupy Charlotte protest outside Old City Hall on Trade Street could continue during the day, though protesters wouldn't be allowed to pitch tents or sleep in the public space.
The ordinance says the city manager could make an exception, however. If passed, the City Council could lobby City Manager Curt Walton to grant an individual exemption, or it could pass the ordinance and set a deadline for the protesters to leave.
Mayor Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, said he was asking the city attorney's office for an analysis on whether the city could legally evict the Occupy Charlotte protesters with an ordinance passed after they began camping.
"I don't have a legal answer to that question yet," Foxx said.
For the DNC, Foxx said it's important to observe First Amendment rights, but his primary concern is that "the public health and safety be placed at a premium."
The local "conservatives" came out to comment in force on the Charlotte Observer website labelling the protesters as "miscreants", "vagrants", "homeless", "jobless" and worse.
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