Prior move from Plaza to City Hall apparently not far enough
By Charles Douglas
Humboldt Sentinel
These may be the last days of ‘Occupy Arcata’ as city officials ready themselves to “expend limited public resources” to rid the front lawn of City Hall of the sprawling encampment.
Arcata police chief Tom Chapman served notice on the protesters earlier today, and while no deadline was contained therein, his letter contained numerous allegations of lawbreaking by people at the Occupy camp which he said could no longer be suffered by city employees or local residents.
“Specific acts include the open use of drugs, the sales of drugs, consumption of alcohol, public intoxication, loose dogs, assault and battery, the illegal discharge of a BB gun, the shooting of a citizen with a BB gun, urination and defecation on public property, repeated smoking within 20 feet of the building, loud profane language in the presence of children visiting the recreation department, blocking disability access to City Hall, theft of property, and a disruption of City services,” Champan stated in his letter.
Chapman had previously worked with Occupy Arcata organizers to move their protest site from the Plaza to City Hall due to numerous complaints from merchants — yet promised access to the City Hall restroom facilities appears not to have materialized.
“Within five feet of the entrance to the recreation department the cement is saturated with urine,” he went on to state. “It has attracted flies and the stench is horrid. This entrance is used by many community members with their children to sign up for recreational programs the City sponsors. The encampment at City Hall has become a public health hazard.”
Several of the well-known demonstrators at ‘Occupy Arcata’ appeared at this evening’s Arcata City Council meeting, vowing to continue their protest and stand up to what they claim is intimidation and official oppression, including “Recon” Rick Shreve and Geronimo Garcia, recent last-place finisher in the Manila Community Services District race and two-time former Council candidate. Other Occupy-ers read statements from military veterans and invoked their elected representatives to “stand up for the 99 percent” and support their movement.
Mayor Susan Ornelas was unmoved by their appeals and at one point had to ask Garcia to cease interrupting the proceedings. She said the demonstrators were welcome to continue their protest, but that camping had nothing to do with the rights of free speech and free assembly.
“This isn’t an eviction notice,” Ornelas said.
The other Councilmembers, who Occupy protesters claim had ignored their demonstration, said nothing in response to their statements during Oral Communications.
Even some supporters of the Occupy movement, much as with its Eureka iteration, have taken issue with the infiltration of criminal elements into Occupy Arcata. Their Facebook page has been seized by one administrator, going by the name of “Trish Ti,” who has closed off access by other organizers while denouncing the unauthorized use of a Twitter account named “Occupy Arcata” because they were “being negative.” Others have denounced the lack of security at the encampment.
“Arcata needs to clean up it’s act if it continues to occupy,” Occupy Arcata supporter Rachelle Irby said. “We need to be clean, safe, and not be using drugs or other inappropriate activity. OWS has a no tolerance policy and so should Arcata. I support you and I hope that the GA’s can resolve the issues cited in the letter.”
When is the last time the APD arrested a Bankster for illegal foreclosure activities, or a landlord for illegal eviction proceedings?
What would the Arcata City Council members have said if Hosni Mubarak has given such excuses for the shutdown of protests in his country?
Arcata is increasingly becoming Eureka with a Wal-Mart smiley face…
Arcata’s been a police state for a long, long time. Just look at who their City Manager is.