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Occupy Philly votes to vacate Dilworth Plaza as requested - only to be rebuffed by Philly police and Mayor Nutter
Occupy Philly decided tonight to comply with the city's request to vacate Dilworth Plaza only to be rebuffed by a phalanx of Philadelphia Police who ordered them back - to Dilworth Plaza.
Occupy Philly votes to vacate Dilworth Plaza as requested — only to be rebuffed by Philly police and Mayor Nutter
Following a protest on the Market Street bridge that resulted in 20-odd arrests, Occupy Philly gathered for its General Assembly meeting to vote on a proposal that surprised many in the group itself: to move across the street from Dilworth Plaza to the Municipal Services Building that night, following the meeting.
The vote followed notices put up by the city two days ago ordering the group to leave "immediately." A large-scale construction project on Dilworth Plaza has been scheduled to break ground soon.
While the city didn't send in police to evacuate the camp — as did other cities like Oakland and New York — Mayor Michael Nutter and his staff refused to clarify over the past few days what "immediately" meant, saying only that the protesters had to leave before construction began and construction would being "imminently."
And yet when Occupy Philly, following their decision to comply with that request, began to move their belongings across JFK Boulevaard, they found themselves rebuffed by a phalanx of Philadelphia Police who ordered them back to Dilworth Plaza.
Shortly thereafter, Mayor Nutter issued his first response via Twitter, saying that that the protesters needed to get a permit first.
"Just follow the process," he wrote a little later.
But many protesters clearly felt betrayed — they had, after all, complied with the city's request to leave and had chosen to relocate to a spot the city had helped select as an alternative site. (During the meeting, the group had toyed with the notion of "occupying" Rittenhouse Square, but decided against it.)
"This exposes the hypocrisy of the city," said one Brandon Slattery after the group had reassembled on the northeast corner of Dilworth Plaza. "What do we have to do?"
There were also not a few voices expressing disappointment that union members hadn't shown up to support the group: according to one working group report that evening, a group of union members were ready with a "rapid response" team to help the group move pending a yes vote.
Gwen Snyder, who's been a leader of the movement told an edgy meeting after the failed move that the unions had not left the group hanging.
"The fact that they couldn't mobilize in 10 minutes doesn't mean they don't support our movement," Snyder said. But a few boos from the crowd indicated not all were convinced.
Brandon Slattery is an avowed communist who sometimes wears unnecessary fashion glasses out to the bar. In other words, totally lacking in credibility.— jerkoftheworld- It was my understanding that the Unions were willing to help if there was a permit. Why did the 'leadership' not know that? Guess you have to LISTEN. Occupyphilly has wasted a wonderful opportunity to create change, choosing to create a 'common enemy' in the Mayor in order to feign group cohesion. Deal with the conflicts folks.— Kurt Lewin
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