Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro plans to remove tents, have roving encampments

After weathering three months at their encampment in Peace and Justice Plaza, Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro plans to take down tents and move to the next stage in its “evolution” Tuesday.

Occupiers planned to temporarily remove tents so the plaza could be cleaned for the NAACP’s Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, but later decided to permanently remove them because of factors like weather and dwindling size.

“We don’t have enough people present in enough numbers,” said Katya Roytburd, a member of Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro. “It is a lot of work logistically to maintain an encampment.”

Roytburd, who stressed that she was speaking for herself, said though the Occupy encampment was an essential part of Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro, it is not the “be all, end all” to what the movement is about — and stressed that the movement is not disbanding.

Occupiers plan to remove the tents starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, followed by a press conference at 4:30 p.m. and a General Assembly meeting at 6 p.m, according to a press release.

Occupier Maria Rowan said that Occupy Chapel Hill will use the change to involve other parts of the town.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to branch out,” Rowan said. “We have a ton of events and teach-ins planned.”

Rowan said the movement also plans to have roving encampments, and will be sending out press releases as the locations of those encampments are chosen.

Occupy will continue to hold General Assembly meetings at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 3:30 p.m. Sundays in Peace and Justice Plaza, Roytburd said. They also might attend the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in June, she said.

Town releases Yates review

Occupiers will end their encampment of Peace and Justice Plaza by holding a march protesting Town Manager Roger Stancil’s review of the Yates building raid at 6 p.m. Monday.

The “Occupy Everywhere” protest that took over the abandoned Yates Motor Company building on West Franklin Street early in November was distinct from the Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro movement — but many within the movement and the community as a whole have criticized the town’s use of a specially trained, assault-rifle-wielding team to break up occupiers.

Police broke up the squatters with a raid after determining that the “known anarchists” involved were a threat.

A report by Stancil released Friday states that Police Chief Chris Blue was acting reasonably when he sent in the team.

“The actions of the on-scene police commanders on Nov. 13 were the best decisions that could be made given the information available at the time,” Stancil’s report states.

Stancil notes that he and Blue discussed plans to disband the occupation, but did not discuss specific tactics. However, he also concludes that the police’s SERT team has specialized training and so it was a good choice for ending the occupation without injury.

“The report minimizes the widespread outrage and condemnation of the police response,” according to a post on Occupy Chapel Hill’s official website.

Roytburd said that she believes the threat posed by Occupiers in the Yates building did not warrant the town’s response.

Geoffrey Gilson, an Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro supporter, will also speak as a guest at WCOM 103.5 in favor of a town-independent review, which Roytburd says she believes many Occupiers support.

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