The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Occupy Norfolk protesters spent a month camped in a downtown park.
Norfolk's powers that be want make sure that never happens again.
The city manager's office plans to ask the City Council to approve an ordinance that bans overnight camping on public property.
Parks close at sundown, and anyone in one could be arrested on a trespassing charge. But an ordinance that specifically bans camping would help clarify the law, said Lori Crouch, a city spokeswoman.
The city probably will define camping as staying on public property past closing, pitching a tent or storing camping materials. A council committee got a briefing on the issue, which is expected to come before the full council at some point. It's not clear when the matter will be put on the agenda.
The city granted the protesters a permit to stay overnight at Commercial Place, the downtown fountain park near the Confederate monument, and the group set up in early October. Occupy Norfolk was evicted Nov. 10, when police showed up in riot gear.
The group remained active, holding meetings and protests about issues such as corporate influence in politics and a federal bill to authorize military detention of suspected terrorists.
Several protesters await court hearings on charges such as misdemeanor trespassing.
Among them is Anita Cafiero, who said the camping ban seems unnecessary.
"If you don't want somebody to do something, don't issue them a permit to do it," she said.
In the past few months, Occupy Norfolk protesters have asked city officials whether they could camp again and have been told no.
"It's like a pre-emptive strike," Cafiero said of the move to ban camping. "We kept the park clean. We sheltered people the city forgets about, and we provided food for the people that were hungry, and we didn't bother anybody. Nobody broke any laws."
The ordinance being considered would make it a misdemeanor to camp on public property in Norfolk. Exceptions would be made for one-time charitable events.
The U.S. Park Service in Washington on Monday was trying to enforce a camping ban on protesters in the district's McPherson Square.
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Let's See
Let’s see…..public urination and defecation, public sex, sexual attack and other sex harassment, physical threats and attacks, murder, abandoned baby, blocking public access to businesses, graffiti, littering, public intoxication, drug use, harassment of people on their way to work, arson, anti-Semitism, throwing Bibles at the police, stealing from a church that housed and fed them (gratitude for you), diseases and lice, and flag burning to name a few of the actions of the OWs across the US.
Thank goodness Norfolk is considering a law to keep these creeps from sleeping in our public areas. They do not represent most of the good, working stiffs in this fine country. 99% is a misnomer.
My goodness
no one minds anyone that peacefully and lawfully assembles. The problem with OCCUPY is that it is all about agitating. Norfolk is merely trying to prevent problems that OCCUPY is now famous for, ie, drugs, babies left in tents, dead bodies (all in the news) and you know it's bad when San Franciso and Oakland doesnt even want you anymore. Get serious and stop blaming others for your lives, at some point you need to grow up and become adults, if you hate America, leave, lots of immigrants waiting to come to this great nation. Become one of the 99% and occupy a chair at a job.
Does this mean
Does this mean that they will remove all the homeless people living in the cities parks? Especially Northside??
Citzens of Norfolk
To the other citizens of Norfolk...We are your neighbors we are your friends. we voted to elect city council members into office to represent us just as you did. We will uphold our rights to attend our city council meetings also. WE are no aliens but we are American citizens just like you. The difference is we have taken a stand to involve ourselvces and our loved ones into politics so we can work together to put a end to the VAST corpution going on in Wall Street and our government.
Kind of misleading reporting here Patrick
"Occupy Norfolk was evicted Nov. 10, when police showed up in riot gear."
The people were not evicted on November 10 when police randomly showed up in riot gear. Their permit expired and they knew it was expiring. They were notified in ample time that their permit was indeed expiring on November 10 and would not be renewed. The "police showed up in riot gear" when the occupy folks willfully refused to lawfully and peacefully exit the park with their belongings. Shouting and wailing and becoming human noodles neccesitating intervention ensued. Having been the target of some verbal attacks as I walked past the park peacefully going about my business, I take exception to Ms. Cafiero's assertion that "we didn't bother anybody".
sequence of events
Thanks for reading. I don't believe it is misleading. The protesters had a meeting with city officials and were under the impression they could stay until the Grand Illumination. They were taken by surprise the next morning when police showed up. An assistant city manager who was in the meeting would not be speaking with me, said Lori Crouch, the spokeswoman for the entire city government. Crouch's explanation was that the permit had expired. A written statement followed. So as a reporter trying to talk to both sides, I found that the city officials involved in the discussion didn't want to explain their position. A few protesters made a political statement and wouldn't leave the park and were arrested. -Patrick Wilson, The Pilot.
Also keep in mind, that
Also keep in mind, that Melanie Purcell, former Assistant City Manager, was fired two weeks roughly after the raid. So naturally, the Assistant City Manager who was involved in the meetings with Occupy Norfolk is no longer available for comment. But the stories she would have, I can only imagine. :)
fyi, I was referring to Anne
fyi, I was referring to Anne Odell.
Assumptions
Are you assuming that someone from Occupy movement was not peaceful? I disagree.Other than dancing and a few chants there was absolutly no problems. Obviously that played out in court as each officer testified that there was NO vilolence and no misconduct. I just think Norfolks finest just wanted to have a chance to dress up in riot gear .I mean really lets see hmmm 3 women arrested who simply sat down...wow full riot gear for that ... LOL of course at the tax payers expense and we at Occupy are all about the poor and the homeless Norfolk finally had a place they got to eat and sleep and may I say IT WAS SUPERVISED...so I would be chances are crime dropped too. I am all for saving this wasted tax dollar monies and putting it toward education..Uniform
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