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The Daily Tar Heel
On The Wire

Occupy protesters denied overnight stays

Some N.C. Occupy protesters, who have spent more than a month demonstrating their discontent with certain restrictive government policies, have learned from experience that they are still subject to the law.

Occupy Raleigh protesters requested to camp in a park outside the Raleigh City Hall, but their request was denied by a City Council committee, said City Manager Russell Allen.

Individual council members offered to help find the protesters space, and as of Wednesday, they were still in the process of securing a new spot to protest, he said.

Russell said 24-hour picketing is allowed, but it is against the city’s policy to allow people to camp out in this public space.
Since 24-hour picketing is allowed, he said he doesn’t think the city is restricting the protesters’ rights.

“They have adequate means to insure their first amendment rights,” he said.

The location in front of city hall does not have accommodations — such as water and sewage systems — for people staying the night, he said.

The city council received complaints from the homeowner association of a nearby condominium development and the management of an apartment building, Allen said.

Asheville’s Occupy protesters were also denied their spot of choice.
Protesters requested permission to camp in a park in front of the city’s council building, but their request was also denied, said Brownie Newman, vice mayor of Asheville.

“The park was not created to become a camping ground,” he said
The park is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Newman said.

He said the policy was not designed with the intention of denying anyone the right to protest.

“The rule was not crafted with any first amendment context in mind,” he said.

City managers in Asheville found the protesters a public parking area to temporarily use.

After using the location for at least two weeks, protesters went back to the city council and asked again to use the park outside of the city council building.

Six of the seven city council members voted to again deny the protesters’ request, Newman said.

The Occupy Asheville group is currently camping on a sidewalk near a federal building in downtown Asheville, he said.

But another prominent N.C. city, Greensboro, has not experienced any of the same conflict.

Its Occupy protesters left over the weekend, and the city council has not had to prohibit the group from protesting on any locations in the city, said Donnie Turlington spokesman for the city of Greensboro.

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