12 Most Absurd Laws Used to Stifle the Occupy Wall St. Movement Around the Country

[EFerrari]

October 14, 2011 |

As Occupy Wall Street protests spring up in cities across the country, authorities are thinking up creative ways to contain this peaceful and inspiring uprising. Although laws and municipal ordinances vary from city to city, there is a consistency in the tactics being used to stifle the movement. More importantly, as demonstrated by the protesters at Zuccotti Park who kept strong in the face of a looming eviction that never came to fruition, these maneuvers are not working.

Still, there is no shortage of justifications and rationales behind the constantly evolving schemes being implemented to destroy the spirit of Occupy Wall Street. Here are 12 desperate and unsuccessful measures the authorities are using to discourage, deter and crack down on peaceful protests.

1) No Snoozing In Public

Most cities have an anti-camping ordinance on the books that prohibits camping or sleeping in public spaces, particularly public parks, to minimize the risk of nighttime criminal activity. But the ordinances are frequently used to cleanse cities of the inconvenient and uncomfortable scenery of homeless people; police in San Francisco are known for enforcing the city's camping ordinance primarily against the homeless.

But now, all over the country, anti-camping ordinances are being used to arrest and deter protesters from occupying public spaces.

http://www.alternet.org/story/152743/12_most_absurd_laws_used_to_stifle_the_occupy_wall_st._movement_around_the_country/

[ixion]

1. here's a good example of part of the problem:

Occupy Dallas protesters have been walking a half-mile to use the nearest toilet since they started camping out in Pioneer Plaza because they could not afford the $1 million permit

One million dollars for a public permit. That's way out of line. Public permits ought to be accessible to all groups, not just the well-funded groups.

[EFerrari]

2. Yep.

[ceile]

3. The permit was not $1 million.

The City wanted the protesters to have an insurance policy with a $1 million indemnification.

[COLGATE4]

5. How much do you suppose a policy with a $1MM indemnity

costs?

[OHdem10]

4. We lost our Democracy long ago. Just because they are from the

Left on the Political Spectrum, they can be squashed.

It is that simple.

[woo me with science]

7. Good god, a million dollars? That is an outrage. nt

[woo me with science]

8. .

(posted wrong place)

[upi402]

6. There are some really cool lawyers

I've been reminding folks for many years... for all the bad - there are lawyers stepping up and doing self-less good, and declining a check (like Cenk did).

[woo me with science]

9. K&R Great post. nt

[woo me with science]

10. K&R Great post. nt