Mayor Hancock Meets With Occupy Denver Reps About Park Rules
DENVER (CBS4) - Representatives of Occupy Denver left Civic Center Park on Tuesday to meet with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. They asked him for permission to stay in the park overnight.
The mayor said Occupy Denver can protest 24 hours-a-day if it wants as long as they stay on the sidewalk and not in the park between the hours of 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. City parks are closed during those hours and the mayor says police will continue to enforce the law.
PHOTO GALLERY: Occupy Denver
Hancock said thousands of people request permits for events at city parks and he doesn't want to set a precedent.
Four representatives of Occupy Denver met with the mayor for a half hour. They said they're concerned the movement will grow to the point they can no longer fit on the sidewalk. The mayor said he'll honor their right to assemble but they must obey the law.
"I told them, 'I want to make sure you're safe, I want to make sure my officers are safe. I really wish you would just observe the law. You're welcome to the park from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.,'" Hancock said. "'We just ask you from 11 p.m. to 4:59 a.m. to just vacate the park, allow us to maintain them, keep them clean, and to make sure you're safe as well as our officers are safe.' And we don't have to have this and I think that's a reasonable request."
"Our work with the mayor is going to continue and be regarding meeting basic human needs of people who choose to assemble here. We're talking about food, shelter and water for the assembly during the occupation," said Amy Marshic, an Occupy Denver representative.
The mayor says he's also concerned about the cost of policing and cleaning up. The city is still tallying those figures.
Demonstrators argue the police presence isn't necessary since their protest is peaceful.
The mayor has asked the protesters to put in writing what exactly their goals and expectations are.
Occupy Denver representatives said they'd like to move back to Lincoln Park. They hope to meet with the Gov. John Hickenlooper as well.
