City officials declared Tuesday that overnight camping is illegal at the downtown plaza where protesters with the Occupy Baltimore movement have been staying in tents for three weeks.

The decision frustrated many of the protesters, but city officials did not say whether the group would be cleared from McKeldin Square, at the intersection of Pratt and Light streets.

A spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said officials would enforce “individual acts of illegal behavior on a case-by-case basis.”

“City government is committed to protecting the free speech rights of Baltimore’s citizens, and that is why any citizen is free to peacefully demonstrate at McKeldin Plaza in accordance with established guidelines,” the spokesman, Ryan O’Doherty, said in a statement. “McKeldin Plaza, however, is not a campground, and overnight camping is prohibited.”

…

According to a memo from the agency, officials asked the protesters to limit their gatherings to two people overnight and to stay confined to a smaller area of the square during the day. In exchange, the city offered to provide 10 tents for the protesters during the day to shield them from the elements and to allow a portable toilet at the square.

Protesters said those demands are so burdensome they could destroy the movement. The activists also said the city wanted them to appoint a spokesperson to act as a leader for the group — a move they say is counter to their core egalitarian values.

Read more.

I find this strange because I know Mayor Rawlings-Blake had stated previously that she was okay with everything, and she felt that the protesters had legitimate grievances.

By Peter Hermann, The Baltimore Sun

On Monday, more than 800 people had signed up to participate in a planned protest in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. But shortly after noon Tuesday, when the protest was scheduled to begin, only a handful of people had shown up.

A copycat of the Occupy Wall Street protest – a sit-in smack in the middle of Manhattan’s financial district – the Occupy Baltimore event is being held at McKeldin Square, with some participants planning to stay overnight for days.

The dozen or so protesters who were present around noon stood huddled around each other, holding fliers. About 15 minutes later, their numbers swelled to about three dozen people, representing a wide variety of groups. Some protesters held sheets with slogans painted on them, including one that reads “Baltimore Occupied – we want change.”

Baltimore City police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Monday it wasn’t clear if the protesters needed a permit, and that police are only concerned that the protesters stay organized and don’t disrupt traffic.

He declined to say how many officers would be deployed to the scene. “We will make sure we have resources in place so that it doesn’t become a distraction.”

Only two officers appeared to be present Tuesday. Police Major Anthony Brown, head of the tactical squad, met with one of the group’s organizers, Mike McGuire, to exchange in a pleasant conversation.

“We’re here to make it safe,” Brown said. “Safety is our number one concern. And whatever we can do to help you, we will do.”

McGuire said, “If the police do what they just said, we’re going to have a wonderful event.”

He added that he was not concerned about what appeared to be a low turnout so far, saying he expects protesters to trickle in all day.

#1:

TIME: Saturday, October 8 @ TBA – Ongoing

LOCATION: McKeldin Fountain (near the Inner Harbor)

and #2 (@occupybaltimore)

TIME: TBA

LOCATION: TBA

Anyone interested in going with me? There’s an Occupy DC, too, but that’s pretty far obviously.

 industryrevealing:

In a frightening example of how the state is tightening its grip around the “free” Internet, it has emerged that You Tube is complying with thousands of requests from governments to censor and remove videos that show protests and other examples of citizens simply asserting their rights, while also deleting search terms by government mandate.

Read more

Surprise, surprise.

(via fruitfulpetrichor)