Occupier Rob Schreiber Votes on a Proposal
[/caption]
Occupiers Meeting in the Dome at Lincoln Park Last Night
By Carol McCracken (Post # 1,074)
The City of Portland notified OccupyMaine yesterday in a news release that it will receive a notice to vacate Lincoln Park today, February 2nd within 48 hours – Saturday morning occupiers need to be gone from their encampment. This is a result of Judge Thomas Warren’s denial of the group’s request to remain in Lincoln Park to express its First Amendment rights against economic inequality in this country.
The General Assembly, which is the governing body of the OccupyMaine movement, following a long discussion, voted last night to instruct its pro bono attorney, John Branson, to ask city officials to allow occupiers to remain in the Park for eleven more days in order to give the occupiers adequate time to clean-up the Park and leave the premises. This proposal came from occupier John Schreiber. In the meantime, the city will provide a dumpster starting today to begin the clean-up process. Branson is expected to have a conference call with city officials this morning at 9 am in which this request will be discussed. “I have no idea if the city is willing to negotiate on this,” he said during a break in the GA.
A second proposal passed concerning the disposal of property in the Park belonging to the occupiers. Any food that may be left in the kichen area will be donated to the Preble Street Food Pantry. Books located in the Library will be packed into boxes and John Schreiber agreed to store them in his home for the immediate future. About 30 occupiers attended the meeting.
A third proposal by Evan McVeigh was put on hold until the spring. “We have not been the best stewards of the Park,” he said. He proposed planting the Park so it could be used as a food source. The proposal was tabled.
The issue of civil disobedience was discussed and decided it was an individual matter. Harry Brown, Jr., one of the plaintiffs in the just lost case, said he plans on not leaving the Park and plans on being arrested. Several others expressed similar plans.
Please see previous post for more background information.