… at least for now.
The most elaborate encampment constructed on the Humboldt County Courthouse lawn by Occupy Eureka to date — a society that lasted from Friday afternoon until early Monday morning — has been removed by the Eureka Police Department.
Monday morning, the police taped-off area was heavily protected by EPD officers. New fencing was scheduled to arrive later in the day.
EPD Interim Police Chief Murl Harpham estimated 25 arrests were made — Update: 33 — in a raid of the camp that commenced at around 4 a.m. today. Harpham restated his stance that protesting was allowed.
“If they want to protest, they can protest on the sidewalk,” Harpham said.
Protester James Decker said that last night’s raid saw occupiers “Mark” and “Andrew” tackled by officers.
To compare and contrast, here’s the setup Occupy Eureka maintained from Friday through Sunday:
… and here’s what it looked like Monday morning:
This article appears in Drugs in Disguise.
Let the county know it’s wasting more money keeping people off the lawn than just letting them stay there while peacefully and rightfully protesting. I hope the minute the cops split, the people return, over and over again. This is a ridiculous waste of resources and a blatant infringement on our rights.
The only fact that matters is that the cops are hammering peaceful protesters into disappearing from the public’s eye…again.
They can’t keep the protesters in jail forever. It is estimated the cost of holding those protesters will be (@ the rate of $90/day/person and using the estimate of 25 being held) will cost Eurekan tax payers $2,250/day.
Can we fix some potholes instead? Maybe get a bike lane or maybe fund text books for an elementary school? I’d even be fine with funding the Citizen’s Academy (a sort of “seminar” given by the EPD) over this.
It looks so pathetic! The first raid, that was an emotional blow I must admit. Occupy, instead of wasting tears, took the dust of the demolition and created something better. Right now, I think I’m just annoyed. It was clean, it was groovy, it had a library! A LIBRARY! It’ll be back up tonight. AND IT WILL BE BETTER.
Who’s ordering the police to do this? The people making these decisions need to be held accountable.
Get a car, fill it with people, take them to Wall Street. If you are willing and able. GO NOW. Don’t hurt nobody. Don’t get hurt. November 17th is the day we close the stock exchange.
B.S. Their encampment was not only illegal, but had nothing to do with the issues (whatever they are) they were supposedly protesting.
Civil disobedience might be an understandable tactic in some instances. This time I fail to see the connection. Regardless, when engaged in civil disobedience, you should expect to be arrested.
It’s interesting that these arrests always happen in the middle of the night. Is the city afraid of public outcry if they attempt it in the middle of the day?
How about some extra cash spent on food for the homeless, or closing down meth labs, or even getting drunk drivers off the street?
Just because there are people who fail to connect the dots, doesn’t mean it’s not all connected. The actions of the police represent more than just wasted funds, it represents their demeanor towards citizens who believe in standing up for rights.
The protest is a symbol of what is wrong with current policy: lack of rights for civilians be they house-less or otherwise, lack of communication between citizens and policy makers, lack of the local institutions supporting constitutional rights, flaws in childhood education (why is it nobody knows how to go about communicating lawfully? why are the rights of the protesters even in question? why is history and politics being taught so poorly that everybody seems confused?), lack of respect for literature (the library did not just hold “propaganda” it held everything from adult classic novels to children’s books), lack of an individual’s right to hold property (the police roped off the area and took everything, it is yet to be seen if they will give back items in an effective manner. Last time, they dumped it in a gulch.); in short: the current system is lacking in plenty.
There will be an appeal to the city tomorrow during the Eureka City Council meeting at 6pm. Whether anyone agrees or disagrees with the Occupy movement, the city should hear what it’s citizens have to say.
Guess a new cardboard sign for begging is in order…
I just drove by on my way home from the DMV. There were 6 or 7 cops huddled outside talking amongst themselves.. What a waste of money! Way to go EPD, keep guarding that grass, you’re making the city so much safer!
“Is the city afraid of public outcry if they attempt it in the middle of the day?
I highly doubt it. It’s just common sense:
By going later at night, the illegal campers would be easily identified as opposed to legal protestors. There’s also likelihood of disrupting normal courthouse business and vehicle traffic going through the area because fewer people are out and about.
I feel safe in saying you’ll find a lot less sympathy for the illegal campers than you think. I’ve bumped into a number of people that might support the Occupy “cause”, whatever that might be, but they don’t agree with the illegal camping.
“Way to go EPD, keep guarding that grass, you’re making the city so much safer!”
EPD is not choosing to engage in illegal camping. And they’re not the ones who make the decision to allow camping on the courthouse lawn. That’s up to the city council or the Board of Supervisors and both those entities have a duty to maintain order and the condition of properties within their jurisdiction.
If whoever is in charge of the courthouse lawn decides to allow camping, then I suppose the campers can have at it. I should hope that common sense would prevail, though, and camping won’t be allowed. Prohibiting camping on the courthouse lawn does not interfere with anyone’s freedom of speech.
Since the new city council fired Chief Garr Nielsen the EPD has been with out adult supervision. I hope people get involved in next years election and work to keep Linda Atkins in office. Unfortunately it will be 2014 before we’ll have the opportunity to elect a third progressive, but lets at least get Linda re-elected and replace Melinda Ciarabellini in 2012 as a start. Until then it’s unlikely we’ll see any improvement in the EPD and we’ll have to rely on the courts for remedies in the meantime.
The U.S. Constitution TRUMPS the City’s anti-camping ordinance. Our city council and county supervisors are being anti-American traitors and they should be treated as such.
Fred you are some type of civil libertarian (meaning non at all)!!!
The EPD is not just prohibiting “camping” they are not allowing protesters to stand on the lawn at all, day or night.
Just come clean and admit that you a reactionary conservative which is fine with Big Brother running our lives (as long as they keep taxes low and don’t regulate industry)!
What a waste of time and tax money. The EPD shoudl be held accountable. If you watch the videos, the officers were not wearing badge numbers nor nametags. One filmer had his camera taken and his ribs either bruised or broken.
We’ll be back!
“The U.S. Constitution TRUMPS the City’s anti-camping ordinance. Our city council and county supervisors are being anti-American traitors and they should be treated as such.” Amen
“The U.S. Constitution TRUMPS the City’s anti-camping ordinance. Our city council and county supervisors are being anti-American traitors and they should be treated as such.” Amen
They are NOT “just peacefully protesting”… this is a description straight from one of the officers – ” the lawn was toast and thousands of beer cans, marijuana, pallets, trash, bongs, tents, etc were hauled away. All the sprinkler heads broken. Poop in wood chips … it was super gross!” CRAPPING on the LAWN now… what the heck!!!! Are you guys serious that they are doing NO harm and should be just allowed to stay there!!! People have to work in that building every day and walk by that crap. It’s not okay!
F**ck Them, I should be allowed to stand there!!!
I don’t really care what allegedly did or did not happen last night, but right now I being told that I can not stand on the lawn.
So it is MY RIGHTS that the EPD are violating.
Do you think no one should be allowed to go to Giants’ game because someone put a guy in coma? Do you think Penn State should be closed because the students rioted, burning and overturning a news van (they were upset their coach was fired)?
The EPD is in the wrong but it looks like it’s going take legal action unless the County Board of Sups step up the protect our civil liberties.
who’s lying, B? you or the officer?
Names linked to other blogs should be ignored, as usual. Stir shit in in your own troll troughs.
No city ordinance or county council decree supersedes our rights under the United States constitution. Tax payers of Eureka, the foolish moves by the city and county have opened us up to huge civil rights lawsuits. We just wasted millions because of fascist police actions do we want to waste millions more? Call the police and DA, the city attorney and board of supervisors and ask them to stop wasting resources being anti-American.
James Decker: If you actually believe that, you’re an idiot.
Hopefully these patriots wont give in the same way our founding fathers didnt give in when it got uncomfortable.
Go easy on the guy, Fred. After all, you believe in all sorts of nutty things.
Yep. Like liberty?
Guarding the grass? What a pack of clowns. Is this what they joined the police force for? The mayor and City Council ought to have their heads examined for taking this sort of stance against a peaceful protest. Is there no sanity in this country?
Police are moving in on the protesters all around the country. It just isn’t here. Something in the air, perhaps. (And I’m not talking pepper spray.)
I’m so glad that ugly ass structure is gone from the lawn. I no longer have to walk through the stench of pot, urine and ass. The place was a mess and extremely unsanitary. While you guys are “fighting” for your civil liberties, you’re stomping on mine. Stay the hell away. Go somewhere else and protest. You’re not welcome here anymore. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JvF9vpqx8&ob=av3e
Check out this video recorded just for the local Occupiers…
Alex would have made a great British loyalist. Not wanting to be inconvenienced by any pesky revolutionaries upsetting the status quo.
Fred, you nothing of liberty.
Fred is just spamming his blog, better to just ignore them blog to blog salesmen.
Who in this county thinks they have the authority to suspend the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? Supervisors? Councilpersons? Police chiefs? Were they, too, counseled by Homeland Security? Whoever they are (along with Homeland Security), they are anti-American TRAITORS and should be treated as such.
Right-wingers have no problems when corporations shit all over our planet and its inhabitants, but if a homeless person poops in a planter because public facilities are non-existent, oh no, the world is going to hell! Shows where their loyalties lie (and their “thinking” fails).
Red herrrings up the ass here… c’mon, how old are all of you?
still here!!