City councils around the nation - no doubt influenced by the clever actions of the cali govt in causing a riot in Oakland by breaking up the tents - have now led to city govts around the country stepping back and allowing the OWS groups to stay. The first one comes just a day later:
Late last night after a 5 and-a-half hour marathon city council meeting,
in which 72 speakers took the floor to express the need for the Occupy OC
Tent Village to be accepted as a form of free speech, the city council
passed an emergency motion to add the needs of “The 99%” to their official
agenda. This was a feat which, according to one more conservative
Councilman, he had never seen in 7 years of service.
The council members each spoke in turn to the civility, articulateness and
peaceful process represented by the Irvine Occupation at contrast with the
several other Occupational Villages in California, which were, at that
very moment being tear-gassed. The general sentiment being: “This is quite
clearly the model. And the occupation most in tune with city needs.”
One councilman stated clearly, “I disagree with most of what you’re
saying. But you’ve clearly shown that this is an issue of free speech. So
if you need to sleep on our lawn… by all means… sleep on our lawn.”
Shortly after, a motion was brought to the council to grant license to the
occupiers to occupy the public space overnight citing the unusual form of
the movement. (Another first in council history.)
