Police chief to meet LR occupiers over illegal camp; won’t leave, they say

— After taking a largely hands-off approach for the first three days of the Occupy Little Rock protest at the Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said he would likely meet with the protesters today.

“I’m trying to assess the nature and duration of what they’re doing,” Thomas said Sunday. “Ultimately, that’s a city park, and we’re going to have to come to some agreement with them.”

Both Thomas and Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola indicated that the protesters would not be allowed to stay at the park indefinitely.

The protesters “have a right to express their First Amendment rights, and we respect that, but that does not obviate the need for a permit,” Stodola said.

He added, “Pitching a tent in a city park is not permitted in any of our city parks unless it’s specifically permitted, and this is not typically the type of park that you would provide a permit for to pitch a tent for some indefinite period of time.”

The protesters, meanwhile, said they have no plans to leave.

“We have a lot of work to do in terms of changing the conversation in the city and state,” said one protester, Thomas Hudson of Little Rock. “We don’t see ourselves leaving anytime soon.”

Members of the group, who say they want to draw attention to what they describe as corporate greed, income inequality and other issues, have been camping in tents on a concrete pad near the presidential library since Friday evening.

On Sunday, about 20 protesters sat on folding chairs around a portable fire pit. Around them were about 20 dome tents, as well as an open tent sheltering a makeshift office and “People’s Library.”

The city-owned park surrounding the library is normally closed to visitors at 10 p.m., Little Rock police spokesman Sgt. Cassandra Davis said, and Chapter 22, Section 30 of the Little Rock Code of Ordinances bars camping in public parks “except by special written permission granted by the parks and recreation department.”

Hudson said protesters attempted to obtain permission from the city but “kept hitting dead-ends.”

“We needed to act, and we went ahead and did it,” Hudson said.

While the protest is in violation of the city ordinance, Thomas said he didn’t want to assign officers to disperse the protesters during a weekend that also included the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and final days of the Arkansas State Fair.

Thomas said the city deploys “a pretty significant contingent” of officers to the fair, which he said is “like having a football game every day in town from 10 a.m. to midnight.”

“I just made a decision that we had other things we needed to do,” Thomas said.

Stodola said he was kept apprised of the situation and agreed with Thomas’ approach.

“Police officers patrol the entire city, and this was a peaceful situation,” Stodola said.

Davis said police have been “monitoring” the protest. Sunday evening, two officers sat in police cruisers parked on the sidewalk near the site.

Hudson, 33, said the police have been “extremely accommodating.” When protesters considered marching along the sidewalk on President Clinton Avenue on Saturday evening, the police offered to provide an escort, he said, adding that the idea was ultimately scrapped.

He said the protesters also have been doing their part to keep the peace. Among the rules, which are posted on handwritten signs at the campsite: No alcohol, weapons, controlled substances or littering. Minors who stay overnight must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Hudson said protesters want to have a “negative litter impact” and have been picking up trash in the park.

“We police ourselves so we don’t have to be policed,” Hudson said. “We’re happy to do it.”

Arkansas, Pages 7 on 10/24/2011

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