Boston Police loading the stolen pallet into a truck
Occupy Boston has been working hard to keep Dewey Square a safe and well-ordered environment. Unfortunately, the Boston Police Department (BPD) is actively working to make that goal impossible. Last night (11/28), the BPD removed a newly built wooden pallet from our encampment, moments after we brought it into camp. At around 10:15 p.m., Devon, an occupier attending the Student General Assembly, spotted the BPD carrying the pallet away and snapped a photo just before officers loaded this valuable piece of camp infrastructure into a police wagon. Watch this video to hear Devon’s detailed description of what he saw.
The pallet was meant to improve the walkways that run among the tents, to ensure that occupiers would not injure themselves traversing the encampment. It was part of our commitment to making Dewey Square an accessible space for free speech and a model for a better society.
In the past few weeks, the BPD has repeatedly prevented Occupy Boston from bringing in materials — including wooden pallets, winterized tents, insulation, and blankets — necessary to keep Boston occupiers the safe through the long winter. We are asking our supporters to call the BPD (617-343-4200) and the Mayor’s office (617-635-4500) to express outrage at the city’s efforts to make the occupation unlivable and unsafe for protesters.
You cannot evict an idea. Occupy Boston will continue to improve our community in Dewey Square. We ask that the BPD uphold their stated commitment to protecting public safety by allowing Occupy Boston to properly maintain and equip our encampment for the cold weather.
Watch Devon’s account of what happened:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2u3_znI3mE&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0]