Jackson Free Press

The future of Occupy Jackson is still up in the air. The City Council voted this morning to discuss the group's request for a special-events permit during a Planning Committee meeting tomorrow afternoon.

The group has asked the City Council to allow them to stay in the park day and night until Dec. 26 after the city denied them a special events permit for that time period.

Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba favored granting the group a permit and compared Occupy Jackson's protest to the civil rights movement.

"These folks ... have the right to make the statement they want to make uninterrupted," he said.

Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell opposed allowing the group to stay and said keeping Occupy Jackson from being in the park 24 hours per day was about law and order, rather than free speech.

"We don't know what's going on in those tents, we don't know what's going on in that encampment, we don't need an encampment," he said. "... If somebody wants to occupy Jackson, they need to do it at a time and place dictated by the administration."

Other council members seemed to favor some kind of compromise. City Attorney Pieter Teeuwissen said allowing the protesters to stay in the park overnight for two months sets a precedent to allow other protesters to do the same, regardless of ideology.

Check jacksonfreepress.com for more updates.

Previous Comments

ID

165437

Comment

Classic Lumumba to compare Whitwell to a former racist Governor, too. Chokwe is a clown.

Author

RobbieR

Date

2011-11-22T10:58:28-06:00

ID

165438

Comment

This is a scary quote: "If somebody wants to occupy Jackson, they need to do it at a time and place dictated by the administration."

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2011-11-22T11:09:19-06:00

ID

165439

Comment

Donna, I agree completely! I think Whitwell totally misses the whole point. We need the government's permission to protest the government? Interesting...

Author

BobbyKearan

Date

2011-11-22T12:15:30-06:00

ID

165440

Comment

Don't forget: Whitwell's a lobbyist, including for payday lending places. I wouldn't exactly call him a corporate critic.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2011-11-22T13:25:28-06:00

ID

165443

Comment

I am looking for someone who has some property within walking distance of Smith Park in downtown Jackson who would be willing to allow several people to stay overnight - say from 11pm until dawn - for a while.

Author

BobbyKearan

Date

2011-11-22T15:15:37-06:00

ID

165452

Comment

No one is denying them the right of free speech or protest, but their 24/7 presence was a problem. They've had plenty of time to "occupy" the park. Time to let others enjoy it during the holiday season.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2011-11-23T10:37:28-06:00