Six arrested as police break up Occupy Norfolk camp

NORFOLK

For a month, Occupy Norfolk protesters slept in tents under the shadow of the city's corporate entities and the Confederate Monument.

They held strategy meetings, kept minutes and coordinated meals. Many woke in the morning to go to work or school.

But the city of Norfolk, which granted permits last month for the protesters to camp, did not intend for the downtown park to become a permanent campsite. Occupy Norfolk's permit had expired. So police showed up about 6 a.m. Thursday to wake the demonstrators and tell them they had to be gone by 9.

Six were peacefully arrested after the city closed the park to take down the tents and clean. The arrests happened when protesters went back into the park after police closed it at 9 a.m. All six people were issued summonses and released.

A statement later released by the city said the camping permit was not renewed because the park is not a designated campground.

"While the city welcomed Occupy Norfolk's initial request to camp, at no time did the City express camping would continue indefinitely," the statement said. "The park needed to be cleaned and restored allowing everyone to enjoy its space."

The permit had allowed as many as 30 protesters to camp in the park.

Anita Cafiero, 33, owner of a new vegan restaurant on 35th Street, was one of the six arrested.

"They were extremely polite, but we tried to gain access to the park after it was shut down to get our personal belongings," Cafiero said.

She and other protesters said they were surprised that the city moved so quickly.

"I think the city didn't handle it very well at all," she said.

"People were woken up at 6 a.m., told that they had three hours to get their stuff out," said Rex Bonney, one of the protesters who was arrested.

City spokeswoman Lori Crouch said the city decided not to renew the camping permit, but the group will be allowed to assemble, protest and hold marches.

James McPherson, 24, who works for The Salvation Army and YMCA of South Hampton Roads, was one of the group's original coordinators. He said he met Wednesday with Assistant City Manager Anne Odell and deputy city attorneys Jack Cloud and Andy Fox. He said he was told the group would be allowed to continue at their campsite until the Grand Illumination Parade on Nov. 19.

"The way we understood it is that we were fine until the Grand Illumination. That they would require us to basically clear up for the Grand Illumination and allow them to perform that. And then they would consider reinstating our permit after that - no promises."

Crouch said no decision was made in the Wednesday meeting.

As downtown workers mingled to watch the Special Operations Team secure the park, protesters chanted at the workers, "Don't watch - join us!"

Police closed intersections near Plume Street until tents and other items could be removed. Main Street at Commercial Place also was closed.

Shortly after 11 a.m., the park reopened, and about 20 protesters remained to talk about what to do next. They said their mission should not be about getting a permit to camp, but promoting their cause, which includes banking reforms and stopping corporate influence in politics.

Other cities, including Richmond last week, have taken similar steps to break up the camps, which have mirrored a protest that started near Wall Street in New York in September. Several protesters were arrested in Richmond.

Although violence erupted at protests in cities such as Oakland, Calif., Norfolk police reported no problems with Occupy Norfolk during its tenure.

Pilot writer Cindy Clayton contributed to this report.

Patrick Wilson, (757) 222-3893, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com