“We are monitoring the situation,” said Mayor Michael Brennan around noon time today. The newly elected Mayor was referring to the clean-up of Lincoln Park. City officials had given the occupiers until 8 am this morning to clean-up the Park and vacate it as well.
“In view of the progress made by OccupyMaine members and volunteers over the past three days to dismantle and remove all 5 common structures and the contents thereof, and our expressed need for additional time to remove the remaining individual tents and locate housing for homeless Occupiers, the City has graciously granted OccupyMaine’s request for a 4-day extension, or until this Friday at 8 am to remove the remaining individual tents and otherwise vacate the Park. Folks can continue to stay overnight through Thursday night. The C ity expects all tents to be gone by Friday, February 10th at 8 pm and all people to be gone past 10 pm Friday,” said John Branson, legal counsel to the Occupiers in a statement just issued.
“They are making a good faith effort to clean up the Park and we want to give them a chance to pursue that,” the Mayor said this morning.
“We are glad to get some good news, finally,” said Steve Demetriou who has been one of the principle cleaners of the Park over the weekend. Steve is a professional photographer, living on Federal Street and was a witness for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the city. “This is not the end of the Occupy movement,” he said.
The city has taken away three dumpsters of material over the weekend. Yesterday the mammoth kitchen facility was removed and taken away by truck. There are still about a dozen tents remaining in the Park to be dismantled by Friday morning.