The Occupy New Haven movement has been set up on the New Haven Green since October, but after five months of protesting, the city is asking the Occupy movement to pack up and leave.
New Haven's Chief Administrative Officer, Rob Smuts, has written a proposal asking those camped out on the Green to leave by mid-March. The city is concerned that more people will want to use the green as the weather gets warmer.
“People going out there and having lunch, just reflecting, playing Frisbee or whatever they do. That's the role of the Green. The Green is just not meant for permanent uses,” Smuts said.
Occupiers have set up tents and signs, staking out claim to the upper portion of the green through the entire winter season. Some Occupiers don’t think they should have to leave.
“I think they should leave us here permanently, until things get better enough. It's a bit of an eyesore, but it's patriotism,” Charles Tullis, of New Haven, said.
Occupiers feel they are not imposing on anyone else's use of the Green and that they have actually made it safer for the people who use it.
“Plenty of people have been up here, people play Frisbee right over there, people come through all the time, people are still playing soccer, they have fitness activities going on right over there. I don't think us being here is preventing anyone from using the Green,” said a woman who only wanted to be identified as Erin.
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The City says it doesn't want to impose on the rights of Occupy to assemble and hopes to accommodate the movement and its goals, but right now, it has to accommodate everyone.
“The City would be willing to permit them to return at a point in the future for defined periods of time,” said Smuts.
There has been no official response from Occupy New Haven on whether it will abide by the City's request to leave.
