As temperatures dropped last night, the members of Occupy Charlottesville huddled around the campfire to discuss their next move.
After hours of conversation, some members made it clear that they were willing to remain in Lee Park after their camping permit expires and the curfew is reinstated at 11pm tonight, thus facing arrest. Those who don’t intent to get arrested will support fellow occupiers by gathering at Lee Park at 11pm to document the removal and police action.
However, the majority of the group’s members decided to start packing their belongings and proceed with an orderly removal from the park. On Thursday, Occupy Charlottesville plans to re-locate to the George Rogers Clark statue near the University of Virginia campus, in front of the Red Roof Inn.
Although only a few members opposed the new location, it was ultimately chosen for its visibility and access to public transportation, both criteria the group deemed vital. For some members, the new location also has the potential to create the opportunity to work closely with the Living Wage Campaign at UVA in asking for a living wage for all employees of the University. For others, occupying a property so close to what some called an “elite” institution was a powerful statement. One occupier, however, protested that she “was not excited about going towards the UVA bubble.”
More after the photo.
Member of Occupy Charlottesville huddled close to the fire during last night’s general assembly.
In the event the group is forced off of the property near the Clark statue, they discussed the possibility of setting up camp at the Free Speech Wall at the east end of the Downtown Mall, a site the Rutherford Institute has suggested could be a better fit.
“In light of the fact that the First Amendment monument, which is situated in the area outside of City hall, includes a podium ‘intended to serve as a contemporary soapbox from which individuals may address both planned and impromptu public gatherings,’ this would seem to be a natural place for individuals wanting to petition their government for a redress of grievances,” wrote John Whitehead, founder and president of the institute, in a memo to Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris.
Many other locations were considered, including one side of Lee Park, the green space next to Friendship Court, a city owned property that is currently vacant, an empty field on Fifth Street Extended and, finally, Monticello. Some members of Occupy Charlottesville argued that an occupation of Monticello would create national headlines and push the movement forward.
Over the last few weeks, Norris has told both occupiers and reporters that police won’t be wearing riot gear and that they expect the removal process to be peaceful.
“We are not expecting any violence,” he said at the time. “We are not going in in the middle of the night to evict them from the park. We expect it to be a very orderly transition.”
Check back for more updates throughout the week. For more information about Occupy Charlottesville, click here and here.