Occupy Boston witness, K. Eric Martin, answering media questions after the hearing
This afternoon at Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frances McIntyre ruling kept in place a temporary restraining order protecting the Occupy Boston Camp at Dewey Square. The order prevents the camp’s eviction by the City of Boston until a written decision is issued, on or before December 15. We are confirmed in our freedom of speech, our right to petition, and our freedom of assembly – at least for the time being.
During the proceedings, the City’s arguments hinged on concerns with our encampment’s safety and with the limits of the First Amendment. The Boston Fire Marshal, despite his dire assessment of fire hazards, was unable to show good-faith efforts to work with protesters to improve the camp — or that he even provided Occupy Boston the notice required by law of what he called substantial fire risks. Occupy Boston’s witness, K. Eric Martin, articulated the importance of the camp’s present location, in the shadow of the Federal Reserve Building, to the protest’s message. He also described the Boston Police Department’s ongoing efforts to prevent winterized tents and other necessary resources from entering camp.
Today is the second victory for a legal team headed by Attorney Howard Cooper formed by the National Lawyers Guild, Massachusetts Chapter and the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. Last month they filed the motion for a temporary restraining order that effectively headed off the possibility that Occupy Boston demonstrators would be forcibly removed, as in other cities.
The Occupy Boston General Assembly yesterday ratified a “Statement of Health and Safety” stating that we “will be proactive and self-regulate to meet all reasonable safety and health inspection standards of the city.” As Urszula Masny-Latos, Executive Director of the NLG, Massachusetts Chapter, stated after today’s court decision, “If the main issue that the City of Boston has regarding Occupy Boston is ‘safety,’ then the City should work with Occupy and create an acceptable and workable plan for addressing all health and safety-related issues, rather than seeking the ultimate closure of the Dewey Square encampment.” We are ready to meet the challenges facing our community and continue our protest of economic inequality here in Dewey Square.
2 Responses to “Restraining Order Extended: Occupy Boston to Remain in Dewey Square For Now”
This is a great confirmation of Occupy’s (and ALL of our) free speech rights… but as you say, it’s a victory only for the time being.
I wish that some clear statement had been made by the court regarding Occupy’s ability to bring in the winter-ready tents, etc.
If the BPD can block that, whatever their agenda, it’s all over. Boston winters are not survivable in what I see there now, and the city will use that reason alone to evict.
In the meantime, celebrate this judgement! Bostonians rebelled long ago, their footprints tracking across the very soil that tents occupy today, against the same kind of injustices.
When the Fed can secretly conspire with banks, behind the back of Congress and the Public, to ensure that the ultra-rich are protected while the rest of us pay for it… That’s not Democracy.
Occupy for Democracy!
A testament to the resiliency of Bostonians. Boston and DC Occupations are still standing. And Boston and DC Occupations both published Declarations of occupation that actually do voice the grievances of MANY !
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http://occupydc.org/ga-consents-on-declaration/
“Last night, on the eve of Occupy DC’s two month anniversary, the General Assembly of McPherson Square reached consensus on a Declaration representing the foundational grievances of the occupiers encamped there and their many supporters.”
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Keep up the momentum and we will hopefully one day be able to influence the right kind of CHANGE…Keep On Occupying – those of us who can’t be there support and appreciate the dedication to this cause. It IS a just cause, and no matter what political affiliation, or if their commute is being disrupted, or whatever other petty complaints, we need to have hope that something WILL change one day…