N.C. county expands ban on camping on its property

Posted to: News Presidential Election North Carolina
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The Associated Press
© February 22, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

The home for this summer's Democratic National Convention is banning camping without permission on all county-owned property.

Mecklenburg County commissioners have voted 7-0 to extend the prohibition against camping at park and recreation sites to cover all county properties. The move is in part to prevent expected protesters from setting up tents during the political convention in September.

Opponents of the county ordinance told commissioners they were concerned that the ban would allow police officers to selectively enforce the law.

Commissioner Bill James said Tuesday the months-long Occupy Charlotte encampment on the old City Hall lawn demonstrated the need for the law.

Charlotte City Council last month banned camping on its property as part of a series of ordinances to control demonstrations.

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Democrats too

Submitted by A Markowitz on Wed, 02/22/2012 at 11:35 am.

apparently.

A sad statement

Submitted by A Markowitz on Wed, 02/22/2012 at 11:34 am.

on the state of our Democracy. This convention is not a private affair for the elite but a public political institution. Attempting to lock out the 99% will only result in unnecessary trouble and international embarrassment.

Technically

Submitted by gabriellel45516 on Wed, 02/22/2012 at 5:12 pm.

Al, the convention is, to a certain extent, a private function and always has been. It is run by the DNC, but the city/county where it is being held is within it's jurisdiction to limit activities in the public sphere.

This has nothing to do with locking anyone out, all it is doing is prohibiting camping - you know tents and sleeping bags - in public parks. Thisis not the DNC doing it. If they were behind this you might have a gripe.

I guess republicans have completely given up on the constitution

Submitted by vbbum on Wed, 02/22/2012 at 11:03 am.

All the protesters have to do is wear funny hats, sling a rifle over their shoulder, carry signs saying the "tree of liberty needs to watered with blood" and they will be declared patriots, if not they will be declared an unruly mob.

Republicans?

Submitted by gabriellel45516 on Wed, 02/22/2012 at 5:19 pm.

Care to explain what republicans have to do with the Democrat National Convention?

Dislike the choice this particular local government body has made about keeping the piece in their jurisdiction - but at the same time please tone down your ultra partisan rhetoric.

This is the

Submitted by A Markowitz on Wed, 02/22/2012 at 11:39 am.

Democrats. While they are preferable to the Republicans, this administration has overseen the largest growth of the police state in our history. You or I can now be arrested and indefinitely detained without charges, spied on or killed by drones at the whim of the President and or renditioned to one of our offshore torture gulags.