COLUMN: Are occupiers going too far?
I was angry when I read police in riot gear armed with tear gas and beanbag bullets used force to clear anti-Wall Street protesters on the morning of Wednesday.
The protestors were staying in the plaza in front of Oakland’s City Hall. They had been camping there for about two weeks. The city officials defended the use of police by citing health and safety concerns among the reasons for clearing the plaza.
Oakland is just another in the long list of cities following the example of Occupy Wall Street, where protesters have been camping out at Zuccotti Park for more than 30 days now.
I understand the frustration from the protesters. Corporate greed, bank bailouts, a huge wealth gap and high student loan debt are just some of the problems. The country’s unemployment rate isn’t promising either, especially to a graduating student with loans. How does a person pay off debt if they are not working? They can’t.
So people utilize the First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and protest the perceived injustices.
The government has failed the people. Look at tax revenues, which are at the lowest point in half a century, with tax rates below what they were under Eisenhower.
The only redistribution of wealth I see happening is the money going straight to the top 1 percent. Something does need to be done and the “Occupy” movement is on the right path.
But some local businesses are tired of the protestors in New York. There have been complaints about petty theft and damage to private property.
That doesn’t help the cause and it brings into question the right to protest around the clock. Does allowing people to occupy a protest trump cities’ basic administrative rights and their responsibilities to local taxpayers? No.
I don’t think this is a court argument that could be won under the protection of the First Amendment. I believe assembling peaceably includes respecting city laws.
I do believe the Occupy movement has every right to be in the parks every day, all day. But, I think in most cities, protesters who assemble at a public park in the morning and go home at dusk probably wouldn’t face a challenge to their presence.
However, the word “Occupy” conveys the message of a constant presence and a commitment to not leave the premises.
I guess as the “Occupy” movement grows, there will be more conflicts over how long protesters can stay in public parks that usually close at dusk. I just hope we don’t see more Oakland-style park clearings.
