Facing imminent eviction from Dilworth Plaza, Occupy Philadelphia General Assembly last night voted unanimously to break camp and move to Thomas Paine Plaza immediately. But they made their move too soon: they don’t have a permit.
Since they didn’t follow the process, the police ordered them to disperse and take their personal belongings back across the street.
By the time I got to the encampment, some Occupiers were milling about; others were discussing the situation during an emergency GA.
Occupy Philly is boxed in by Mayor Nutter who told them to “chill out” and a splinter group, the Reasonable Solutions Committee, which followed the process and applied for a permit. Reasonable Solutions’ application is under review. Nutter said he’s not going to choose a side so the two factions will have to work it out before a permit is granted.
Occupy Philly and Reasonable Solutions have until early next week to figure out a way to coexist at Thomas Paine Plaza. If not, they will be sent packing for good.
On Day 42, Mayor Michael Nutter ordered Occupy Philadelphia to get to stepping “immediately”:
The City of Philadelphia today posted an Official Notice advising the public that the $50 million Dilworth Plaza construction project is imminent. The notice was issued following the announcement that the Center City District, the project manager, has awarded a general construction contract to Daniel J. Keating Company for the project, which will employ about 800 construction workers and is scheduled for completion in about 27 months.
Tomorrow, members of the City’s homeless outreach team, with the assistance of homeless advocacy organizations, will increase efforts to provide assistance to any homeless person who needs help in relocating from Dilworth Plaza. In recent weeks, the outreach team has visited the Plaza three times a day, offering services to homeless people who are camped on the Plaza.
The eviction notice was posted throughout the encampment.
Philadelphia has a high rate of illiteracy so some Occupiers may not be able to read the notice. So I’ll cut to the chase: Hit the road, Jack.
From Portland to New York City, the un-occupation of America is underway.
The Associated Press reported cities are coordinating their efforts:
As concerns over safety and sanitation grew at the encampments over the last month, officials from nearly 40 cities turned to each other on conference calls, sharing what worked and what hasn't as they grappled with the leaderless movement.
At the same time, the hypocrisy of some Occupy supporters is stunning. They support Occupiers taking over public-private spaces and trashing them in the name of the 99 percent so long as it’s not their property. When Occupy Wall Street sought sanctuary in property owned by Trinity Church Wall Street, church officials called the NYPD to have them arrested.
Meanwhile, Occupy Philly is mired in its own muck.
It’s just a matter of time before Occupy Filthy is evicted from Dilworth Plaza. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
Philadelphia Lt. Ray Evers, of the Public Affairs unit, said there was no planned eviction of Dilworth Plaza as of Tuesday, saying that any such plan would come from the mayor’s office. But he said that the conditions at the protest site had worsened in recent weeks.
A new poll shows voters give “down twinkles” to Occupy Wall Street. Occupiers’ preoccupation with squatting in unsanitary places is turning off the 99 percent.
After a five-hour General Assembly, Occupy Philadelphia on Friday voted to defy the city’s orders to vacate Dilworth Plaza when their permit expires on Nov. 15:
Occupy Philadelphia will stay at Dilworth Plaza at the anticipated “start of the Dilworth Plaza construction.” If this proposal is adopted, Occupy Philadelphia will issue a public statement and a list of demands. Occupy Philadelphia will schedule and implement nonviolence resistance training and eviction preparations.
I walked through the encampment on Saturday. I stopped by the food station to see what was cooking. They had some fresh artisanal bagels so I decided to help myself to one. As I reached for a bagel, an Occupier said my name and told everyone he always had a crush on me.
After I got over the shock, I remembered I was still wearing my name tag from the “Engaging Communities” conference hosted by the Center for Public Interest Journalism and Temple University’s Department of Journalism. So as a new media practitioner, I engaged in a conversation with a member of the Occupy Philly community.
Darren Borders is from West Philadelphia. He has been living at the encampment since Day 4. A volunteer with the Safety and Food working groups, Darren offered to show me his tent. I followed him with some hesitation.
I asked Darren whether he planned to resist eviction.
It’s a shame more Occupiers fail to see the folly of digging in their heels. Staying will not move the needle on issues of concern to the 99 percent.
Sadly, Occupy Wall Street has squandered an opportunity to catalyze a movement. The Occupy movement moment has gone from speaking truth to power to protesting for the right to squat in unsanitary encampments that have become breeding grounds for communicable diseases and violence. In fact, less than three hours after I left Dilworth Plaza, a rape was reported.
On Saturday, I noticed a construction boom lift at City Hall. In the wake of the alleged sexual assault, Mayor Michael Nutter is ready to lower the boom.
I’ve asked you here today because of my very great concern about dramatically deteriorating conditions on Day 39 in our engagement with Occupy Philly on City Hall apron, also known as Dilworth Plaza.
Occupy Philly has changed. We’re seeing serious health and safety issues playing out on almost a daily basis.
Occupy Philly is fractured with internal disagreement and disputes. The people of Occupy Philly have also changed and their intentions have changed. All of this is not good for Philadelphia.
[…]
In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of thefts and assaults in the Occupy Philly space. In addition, between Oct. 6 and Nov. 11, there have been 15 EMS runs related to the Occupy Philly site.
And then last night shortly before 8 p.m., a woman reported an alleged sexual assault in one of the tents. This incident is also under investigation.
These conditions are intolerable. Occupy Philly is not acting in good faith, and it’s now abundantly clear that on many levels this group is violating a range of city ordinances and the terms of their permit.
Of necessity, we are now at a critical point where we must reevaluate out entire relationship with this very changed group.
Occupy Philly has changed so we must change our relationship with them – THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
By 53-31, Occupiers voted against applying for a permit to move the tents across the street to the Municipal Services Building plaza.
There was a lively debate about the pros and cons of moving. Some expressed concern that Occupiers were losing sight of “the big picture.”
A statute of former Mayor Frank Rizzostands in front of the Municipal Services Building.
It is clear that some Occupiers are wishing for a confrontation with the police. If Rizzo were still in office, the former police commissioner would be more than happy to grant them their wish.
UPDATE: I stopped by the General Assembly this evening. As the Nov. 15 deadline looms, Occupiers are preoccupied with whether they will stay and “fortify” the encampment or move. On Friday, the GA will vote on a proposal by the radical caucus to “resist eviction and hold this ground.”
Twenty-nine days ago, Occupy Philadelphia pitched its first tent in Dilworth Plaza. Since then, the encampment has grown to hundreds of tents.
I walk through the encampment a couple of times a week. The site has taken on the look, sounds and smells of a homeless shelter.
The homeless have long occupied the plaza, where a renovation is scheduled to begin this month. In a letter to the “City of Philadelphia,” Occupiers are mulling over whether they will move:
Finally, let us address the most critical issue, our end date. When our legal team submitted a permit application there was clearly no stipulated end date. However, when our permit was issued, to our surprise, it stated that our end would coincide with new construction at City Hall in November. Both the application and permit are available online for all to see.
In the poorest big city in the country, we believe that it is morally bankrupt to consider spending $50 million on the redevelopment of Dilworth Plaza. Who made that decision? To whom are Paul Levy and his Center City District accountable? We believe that money can be better spent on education, healthcare, and housing for the many in this city who are desperately in need. The people of Philadelphia did not vote for an ice-skating rink and more coffee shops. We refuse to allow the federal government, unaccountable local institutions, and the wealthiest 1% to privatize our city’s public spaces and control decisions that affect us all. We hope to discuss this matter with union workers whose jobs are affected by this project. We support workers’ rights, and condemn the city’s record of attacking workers. Union workers are within our ranks, and we know it is critical to have their input, participation, and support before finalizing our decision about whether to relocate.
Enough already! The people of Philadelphia did not vote for this leaderless “movement” to unilaterally upend the City’s plans.
