News from Occupy Alaska

[Blue_In_AK]

First, this revolting development from Anchorage:

http://www.adn.com/2011/11/23/2185562/assembly-oks-curbs-on-sidewalk.html

Assembly limits sidewalk sitting in downtown Anchorage

The Anchorage Assembly, after hearing from a stream of people opposed to restricting the right to sit on downtown sidewalks, passed a new law that does just that Tuesday night.

The law, effective Dec. 22, makes it illegal to sit or recline on downtown sidewalks from 6 a.m. to midnight weekdays and until 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights, with some exceptions such as for medical emergencies.

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Those who testified against the sidewalk ordinance, some of whom wore pink "Occupy Anchorage" T-shirts, mostly argued the law is unnecessary and abridges the constitutional freedom to assemble.

"This law protects people the way the Mafia protects people," said Geoff Kennedy. "I don't need protection from a guy sitting on a sidewalk or carrying a sign."

Matthew Moll, another person testifying, asked, "Why are we even talking about it? ... It seems very small, petty even."

Honeman, who is running for mayor, agreed with the opponents who spoke. "This law, I believe, is a turkey. ... This law won't do a damn thing."

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If you sort the comments by best rating, you'll see that yours truly has the second most popular comment. Woo-hoo! :) I predict a sit-in in Anchorage's future. A photo that doesn't appear in the online version of the paper shows a protester carrying a sign that says, "I've got a job. Give a damn." I like that one.


Here is news from Fairbanks, where the temperature has been -40 and six occupiers have been maintaining a 24/7 presencce.

http://www.adn.com/2011/11/23/2185739/occupy-fairbanks-tent-remains.html

FAIRBANKS -- The Occupy Fairbanks movement and borough officials can't agree about the tent that protesters set up in an effort to stay warm during days of record-breaking cold in Alaska's second-largest city.

The shelter is still up at Veterans Memorial Park despite instructions from Fairbanks North Star Borough officials to take it down, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Wednesday.

Group members have said they need the tent and its wood stove to continue to exercise their First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly. However, borough officials have said the tent violates park rules.

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Mayor Luke Hopkins and Borough Attorney Renee Broker have been wary about the legal implications of taking a hard line with the protesters.

"The regulations that I have seen have actions in them that I think step strongly on First Amendment rights," Hopkins said.

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Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/11/23/2185739/occupy-fairbanks-tent-remains.html#ixzz1eeSj6Zxi


Anchorage occupiers line up to testify at the Assembly meeting. Not one citizen testified in favor of this ordinance, and even the Chief of Police stated that he had had no occasion to use such a law in the past year. It's just our asshole mayor having a vendetta against one homeless person who has camped outside city hall in protest.