Occupy Grand Rapids

Today (July 5) Mlive and The Grand Rapids Press posted the article “Occupy Grand Rapids leaves overnight campsite after police warning.”

Once again, they made no attempt to contact Occupy Grand Rapids.

Occupy Grand Rapids leaves overnight campsite after police warning

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Occupy Grand Rapids ended its plans for an overnight camp on a Monroe Avenue NW lot after police told them camping was not allowed on the property.

The group had set up Wednesday at 517 Monroe Ave., just north of Michigan Street. The group had planned an occupation of Monument Park earlier that day, but left.

According to its Facebook page, the group had set up a Monroe Avenue camp, including tents for an overnight stay, when 20 or so members were told by police they had to leave after fireworks ended.

“(A)fter much discussion, the group decided to call their bluff and celebrate our resolve with a noise parade,” Occupy Grand Rapids said in a post early this morning.

“This joyful display of community was interrupted by the cops who … threatened everyone with all sorts of unholy consequences unless we dismantled the entire camp while they watched.”

A Grand Rapids police lieutenant said that property is owned by Kent County. County officials told police that no one was allowed to camp on the property.

Police said those gathered at the site were cooperative, and left after talking with officers.

While Occupy Grand Rapids said one person was arrested, the lieutenant was unaware of any arrests linked to the demonstration.

The Grand Rapids Press and Mlive published an article on July 3 titled “Planned Occupy Grand Rapids protest at Monument Park dissipates.”

Nobody from Occupy Grand Rapids was contacted to comment and the article contains several factual errors.

Planned Occupy Grand Rapids protest at Monument Park dissipates

Update: Members of the group have set up a new occupation at 517 Monroe Avenue, north of Michigan Street, according to the Occupy Grand Rapids Facebook page.

GRAND RAPIDS — Occupy Grand Rapids has ended a planned occupation of Monument Park earlier than originally planned.

The group was scheduled to occupy Monument Park downtown beginning at noon today. A Grand Rapids police lieutenant said he had seen about 15-20 people throughout the course of the afternoon. The department was monitoring the group, but had heard no complaints and they appeared to be following all city park ordinances, he said.

The park was empty as of 4 p.m.

A “speak out” had been slated for 6 p.m. with a general assembly at 7 p.m.

Temperatures are approaching record highs today in the city and have been reported in the triple digits.

The following story was published on July 4 by Michigan Radio:

Occupy Grand Rapids stakes out a new campsite

The Grand Rapids Press  and Mlive.com published the article “Occupy Grand Rapids plans to ‘re-occupy’ new downtown camp on Fourth of July” on July 3.

Occupy Grand Rapids was not contacted to comment.

Occupy Grand Rapids plans to ‘re-occupy’ new downtown camp on Fourth of July

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — If you’re downtown for the Fourth of July fireworks tomorrow, you may bump into some protestors.

Occupy Grand Rapids, which briefly occupied Ah-Nab-Awen Park and camped at Fountain Street Church last fall during the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York, is planning to set up camp again in downtown Grand Rapids.

According to the group’s Facebook page, Occupy GR will re-occupy Grand Rapids tomorrow by setting up camp at Monument Park downtown, where the city’s Civil War memorial statue is located at the corner of Fulton, Division and Monroe Center.

Although the Occupy Movement has largely abandoned physical encampments after the Occupy Wall Street group was ejected from Zuccotti Park in New York, the Grand Rapids group apparently plans a physical encampment on public property, something that caused them to be ejected from Ah-Nab-Awen by the city last year.

From the group’s event page:

“There will be tents.
We will not sit quietly by.
This will be a physical encampment.
Our dreams cannot fit in your ballot boxes.
We’ll show each other what we are made of.
There will be cheer squads and marching bands.
Bring your banners, signs, noisemakers and fighting spirit.”

According to Jeff Smith, who runs the local activist blog GRIID, the group has not been inactive despite abandoning their encampment at Fountain Street Church during the winter. Instead, they have been “connecting with other struggles, holding meetings and engaging in skill sharing with people in West Michigan who are fed up with the current political and economic system.”

The reoccupation begins at noon on July 4. A march will follow and a general assembly using the people’s mic will take place at 7 p.m.

The encampment will apparently feature a kitchen serving vegan meals, a free store, a garden made from edible plants in portable containers, child care, a library and welcome tent. There will also be a “security/de-escalation team” and an onsite medic of some kind.

Suggested items to bring include a tent and sleeping bag, reusable water bottles, comfortable clothing, sunscreen, food, pens and paper, a bicycle helmet, camera, ear-plugs and hand sanitizer.

Daily soap box speak-outs and general assemblies are scheduled to follow.

About 77 people have indicated they are going on Facebook, out of more than 1,000 invited.