Eviction Press Release
Occupy Fort Lauderdale Fights City Hall Eviction PDF
November 22, 2011
Group calls new city policies blueprint to “limit our first amendment rights”
Fort Lauderdale — November 22, 2011 — Occupy Fort Lauderdale, a group of citizens
peaceably assembling in the plaza below the Fort Lauderdale City Hall announced today that the city
had requested its removal by Thanksgiving eve, Wednesday November 23rd, 5:00PM, but that the
group was exploring legal means to fight the eviction. Failing that, some members had vowed they
would peaceably resist and face arrest.
Occupy Fort Lauderdale’s legal working group had previously identified the site as a public
space not classified as a park, and had consulted with the city before “occupying” it. The city’s
regulations prohibit sleeping overnight in parks.
The group began a twenty four occupation of the space November 8th to promote an
agenda similar to that of Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Fort Lauderdale has utilized the site, at North
Andrews Avenue and NE 2nd Street, to hold general assemblies, attract new members, launch
demonstrations and hold teach-ins to promote the overall goal of OWS, which is to create an open
and democratic process through which citizens can discuss solutions to national problems, such as
the deteriorating economic status of all but the richest 1% of society. When not actively engaged in
these activities, the group sits in camp chairs holding signs and communicating to others via Internet
video feed. A group member called the city’s attempt to remove the group a “plan to limit our first
amendment rights and a direct attack on our rights to peaceably assemble at the steps of city hall, a
traditional location for expressing free speech throughout the history of America.”
The city created a rule for its Policy and Standards manual, dated November 22nd, and
contacted the group in the late afternoon. The new rule states that the city will permit
constitutionally protected activities in the space, subject to such activities not interfering with public
order. Members of the group noted that relations with the police had been cooperative and peaceful,
and that the police had expressed no objections to the group’s storage tents and sun shades. The
new policy also adds new time restrictions upon the use of the space, closing the space nightly
between 2:00AM and 5:00AM.
The group is continuing to discuss the situation with legal advisors, and has called upon
members and sympathizers to be at the site at the deadline as their personal lives permit.
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Occupy Fort Lauderdale is an organization of citizens who are peaceably assembling in public spaces
in Fort Lauderdale, much like similar groups in over 1000 cities across the U.S. It is currently
occupying the plaza at the south side of the Fort Lauderdale City Hall, on Andrews Avenue. We
meet to discuss America’s economic and political situation, to air our grievances at the injustices
brought upon us by the corporate forces of the world, and together, plan to create a process to
address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone. The organization has
held several general assembly meetings thus far, bringing together hundreds of people, and has
attracted over four thousand to its virtual Facebook® community. For further information, please
contact media@occupyfortlauderdale.org
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Facebook Event http://www.facebook.com/events/224657200935951/
For more information, press only:
media@occupyfortlauderdale.com
For more information on Occupy Fort Lauderdale:
http://www.facebook.com/occupyfortlauderdale or http://www.occupyfortlauderdale.org
