Conspiracy theorists are going to love this one. In an interview with the BBC, Mayor Quan admitted that she discussed dismantling Occupy Oakland with Mayors from 18 other cities.
Obviously, the Occupy movement is something that hits close to home for me. As we heard the horror stories from the original Occupy locations, we cringed as word of a Charlotte occupation emerged. Without getting into any of the intelligence or logistical information related to Charlotte, I would like to comment on these posts from this perspective.
The First Amendment issue is both a serious and touchy one. We are required as an agency to permit the rights provided in the Amendment. Simultaneously, we have an obligation to the residents of Charlotte to ensure a quality of life standard. Therefore the juggle becomes a difficult policy consideration.
Where some of the other cities have experienced riots, violence and mass arrests, we have not. I attribute this difference largely to the department's response to the Occupation. Rather than exhausting tremendous department resources, money, etc., the department collaborated with the group. A clear agreement was reached regarding the interpretation of Constitutional rights, and the two sides basically have agreed to disagree...live and let live...as long as that agreement is not breached. The rights are preserved; peace is maintained. More importantly from a planning perspective, minimal resources are required.
Protesting is one thing. Setting up camp is another. They should protest 8 hours a day. Work 8 hours a day. Sleep 8 hours a day. If they did that they probably wouldn't be running into road blocks.
Obviously, the Occupy movement is something that hits close to home for me. As we heard the horror stories from the original Occupy locations, we cringed as word of a Charlotte occupation emerged. Without getting into any of the intelligence or logistical information related to Charlotte, I would like to comment on these posts from this perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe First Amendment issue is both a serious and touchy one. We are required as an agency to permit the rights provided in the Amendment. Simultaneously, we have an obligation to the residents of Charlotte to ensure a quality of life standard. Therefore the juggle becomes a difficult policy consideration.
Where some of the other cities have experienced riots, violence and mass arrests, we have not. I attribute this difference largely to the department's response to the Occupation. Rather than exhausting tremendous department resources, money, etc., the department collaborated with the group. A clear agreement was reached regarding the interpretation of Constitutional rights, and the two sides basically have agreed to disagree...live and let live...as long as that agreement is not breached. The rights are preserved; peace is maintained. More importantly from a planning perspective, minimal resources are required.
Think about it...
Protesting is one thing. Setting up camp is another. They should protest 8 hours a day. Work 8 hours a day. Sleep 8 hours a day. If they did that they probably wouldn't be running into road blocks.
ReplyDelete