Police begin breaking up Occupy Austin encampment

[villager]

Police begin breaking up Occupy Austin encampment

In a surprise move tonight, Austin police officers began breaking up the Occupy Austin encampment, moving protesters who for nearly four months had set up sleeping bags, signs and a makeshift library in front of City Hall.

Armed with a newly adopted city policy banning people from the public building during overnight hours, officers began clearing the protesters about 10 p.m. They said that they were enforcing new rules that also ban sleeping, camping and storing sleeping equipment on the plaza, mezzanine and amphitheater — the sites that the group has called home since Oct. 6.

Officials in recent months have contended with the rising costs of police overtime and maintaining cleanliness at City Hall as 30 to 40 people slept there for many weeks. In mid-January, police officials said the cost of constant police patrols had climbed to about $110,000 to $115,000 every two weeks. City officials estimated Friday night that the movement has now cost taxpayers about $800,000 over the last few months.

Occupy Austin members said the 24-hour patrols were not warranted, but police officials have disagreed, saying 118 people have been arrested there between October.

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http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2012/02/03/police_begin_breaking_up_occup.html

[unionworks]

1. Occupy Everywhere

Don't let them stop you

[Magoo48]

2. Occupy...keep the pressure on...courage to all of us.

[Tripod]

3. Police, stop the violence, and arrest.

Once and a while things get out of control, but usually not. I'm going with the underdog. Me, and most of us here in this US. I'm kind of ashamed that I haven't been to a rally yet, to support this.

[chained]

4. more government oppression

The Austin police stated the reason for forcibly removing protesters from the Austin city hall is because everyone has to use it. HOWEVER, the statement is spurious because the lock out time is from 10:00 P.M. until 6:00 A.M. when the place of bad government is closed anyway. This is just another move by those that have the power oppressing the federal rights of the individual, granted in the Constitution. I have seen nowhere in that worthless piece of paper that says you can only express your ideas during busness hours. At the same time, if you do anything to resist you may be labeled as a terrorist, or a non-conformist and trouble maker at a minimum, and CAN be removed without legal representation from society. Thank you Mr. Bush.