Residents and Occupy Chapel Hill members joined Monday night to protest a town report that expressed support for what many called violent police action during the Yates Motor Company break-up.
Protesters, who marched from the Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro camp in Peace and Justice Plaza to a Town Council meeting at town hall, criticized the official report — and after much discussion, the council decided to investigate further, but not to support an independent review.
The event at the center of the controversy occurred in early November, when a group of “Occupy Everywhere” protesters took over the abandoned Yates Motor Company building on Franklin Street. A team of police wielding assault rifles broke up the protesters — who are separate from the Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro group — citing a safety threat.
On Friday, Town Manager Roger Stancil released a review of that action. Protesters said the review, which drew conclusions based on police reports and other official statements, didn’t go far enough to establish what happened. Many disagreed with Stancil’s conclusion that the force police used was justified.
“They’re taking no responsibility for their actions,” protester Justin Jacobs said. “They need to apologize.”
Resident Jim Neal had proposed a review carried out solely by residents — several town officials sit on the community policing advisory committee tasked with the review — and many supported the call.
The appeal eventually failed, with some saying that Neal himself would be unable to lead an objective review.
But council members said they did lack information about the event both at the time and now, and more information is needed.
Carrboro Board of Aldermen member Dan Coleman investigated the break-up for a review of the Mutual Aid Agreement between Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s police departments, and his findings prompted discussion about inconsistencies.
