I’ll get around to it as soon as I can. Thanks again for your input.

Courts, including the Supreme Court have ruled that parks and other public spaces can be closed at certain times to protect neighborhoods, reduce crime, reduce noise, allow cleaning, etc. No camping overnight rules have been specifically allowed as reasonable for these reasons. Highways, streets and bridges may be restricted to only allow car traffic, even though they are public spaces.

I don’t think protesters will get very far arguing that they have an absolute right to camp out overnight. That argument has been played out in the courts and that reasoning has lost every time. Mayors, police and public officials have a duty to protect the health and safety of all citizens.

That is why the discussion must center on how to allow peaceful protests that do not interfere with the rights of others. I think, Brian, you hit it squarely when you talked about communication.

However, I think it is unreasonable to demand that there be a “leader” empowered by every protester to speak for him or her. This is not a church club or a Kiwanis club that has an elected president we are talking about. This is a a group only in the sense that they are in the same place at the same time. Many have competing disagreements with society. I do think it wise for each site to have an “organizing committee” that can negotiate and bring back information to the entire group.

Cities and police must make an extrordinary effort to develop communication and not be impatient by demanding instant results.

Our nation has not chosen anarchy as the path for a better society, and no side should be allowed to engage in it.

Because you see, if you distill ows’s grievances, analyze them carefully, you will understand the this a PRO CAPITALISM movement, that just happens to be to be an anti corrupt politician, anti corrupt corporation, and pro enforcement of the existing securities trading laws. Are they against the Federal Reserve? Oh, yes. This places them in the direct company of Alexander Hamilton.

So mayors and other local and national politicians, being fundamentally corrupt, have a vested interest in directing police chiefs to do their wet work for them. They are desperate to keep up appearances, hide their failings, take corporate money, and belly up for another course at the table of plenty, set for them by the taxpayer.

We’ll know for certain we haven’t made any social or political steps forward when the national guard gets called out.

So if i have the right to peacefully assemble guaranteed to me by this country’s constitution and the mayor orders the police to clear out the area…..

Isn’t that an unlawful order coming from the mayor?

again that’s the point Ive been trying to make here and in your other blog posts…Its that blind faith toward elected officials that bothers me/us.

So, yes, the Mayor’s office can take direct action through the chief’s office, and that is exactly how things occurred in Atlanta, Seattle and Oakland.