Occupy Sebastopol, the local manifestation of the people-powered
anti-corporate Occupy Wall Street movement, continues to toss
questions in front of the larger local community, downtown
businesses and the elected officials at City Hall.
Is pitching a tent on the Town Plaza a form of protected free
speech? Is a special event permit required? Should the police
enforce a “no camping” ordinance? What is the cost of the ongoing
encampment to the city in police and other services? For how long,
and how big, should any Occupy camp be allowed to exist?
Those and other questions were asked – but not answered – in a
public session held before the City Council Tuesday night.
Since Nov. 5, a small circle of tents has been erected on the
grass lawn of the Town Plaza. Police Chief Jeff Weaver and other
officers have visited the Occupy protestors on a daily basis and
Mayor Guy Wilson met with them last week.
Following a special meeting late last week, the city council
instructed City Manager Jack Griffin to seek a special event
application from the group.
An application was submitted during Tuesday’s meeting by David
Bush, who said he was a local lawyer retained by Occupy
Sebastopol.
Mayor Wilson said the council and city staff would review the
application and make a quick decision. (At press time no decision
had been announced.)
“We are asking to have fees and insurance costs waived,” Bush
asked the council. “We believe the erection of tents on public
space is protected as a right to free expression.”
City attorney Larry McLaughlin said that might not be the case,
citing a New York judge’s ruling earlier in the day that declared
such encampments not protected free speech.
Hundreds of Occupy camps have gone up in cities across the
country, with the largest ones in New York, Portland and Oakland
being dismantled by police for violating camping and public safety
rules.
The Occupy Sebastopol protest has been civil, well-organized and
without event except for three non-related arrests of people on
probation violations.
At Tuesday’s meeting both Chief Weaver and the protestors
praised one another for the ongoing cooperation and open
communication.
During a 90-minute public session where about a dozen people
addressed the council, only one person spoke in disapproval of
Occupy Sebastopol.
A former Citizen of the Year, music teacher Jim Corbett
attempted to reach beyond the campers and the Occupy Sebastopol
protest. He called for a series of “Solidarity Saturday” events in
the Town Plaza with music, family activities and dialogue.
“I’m excited about this movement,” Corbett told the council.
“There’s a spiritual awakening going on here. I totally support
what this is about. It’s time for the old hippies and other
activists to come out. This might be our last chance to get things
right.”
Corbett said he planned to file his own special event permit at
city hall this week. If approved, he is scheduling his first
Solidarity Saturday event for 12 noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Nov.
19.
Meanwhile, members of Occupy Sebastopol vowed to continue their
daily General Assemblies and outreach to downtown businesses. Last
weekend about 80 protestors marched in front of the local Wells
Fargo and other banks, protesting their ties to “corrupt power” of
Wall Street.
Linus Lancaster, a Sebastopol resident and high school teacher
in Healdsburg told the council that Occupy Sebastopol stands
against the “upward consolidation of wealth and the privatization
of profits … the war budget .. and the off-shoring of America’s
jobs.”
Lancaster said, “we’re not going away – our militancy is coupled
with non-violence.”
Occupy Sebastopol has aligned with the “consensus
democracy” structure of most other Occupy protests across the
country. The group practices “open reflection” and “collective
thinking.”
At Tuesday’s meeting Occupy member Tom Morabito told the council
“I’m frustrated by our lack of dialogue with you. We talk and you
listen but I wish we could create a ‘we’ situation. Our goal is to
have more town hall meetings.”
Another protestor named Chris told the council his group has
been cleaning the public restrooms and city sidewalks during their
encampment. He said the group has promised to leave the Plaza on
Dec. 1 during the city’s annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony. The
tent dwellers have shared the plaza for two Sundays with the
permitted Sebastopol Farmers Market without complaints.
Another person told the council she didn’t think the tents were
“pretty” but she said she supported their ideas.”
Occupy member Tim Brian said “Occupy isn’t about camping; it’s
about creating a space for creative ideas.”
Another citizen, opposed to the Plaza protest wasn’t so sure.
“What if the John Birch Society wants to come here and camp? And
how much is this costing our municipal budget?” she asked.
One final commenter stood to address the council on Tuesday,
saying “this dialogue is getting to too high a frequency for
me.”
