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Occupy LA Protestors Could Get Backing of City Hall

By Zach Behrens
October 5, 2011
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Since Saturday, protestors have gathered and camped outside Los Angeles City Hall as part of a national movement calling attention to a variety of economic issues, namely the inequalities that the nation's wealthiest 1% of the population has over the remaining citizens.

Named Occupy Los Angeles after Occupy Wall Street in New York City, protestors have gained a good amount of media coverage and support from many, including individual city council members. Now looms the possibility that the city of Los Angeles may put its weight behind the cause.

Today City Councilmen Richard Alarcon and Bill Rosendahl introduced a resolution supporting Occupy LA protestors. If approved and signed by Mayor Antonio Vilaraigosa, the city would stand "in support for the continuation of the peaceful and vibrant exercise in First Amendment Rights carried out by" the group, which has vowed to continue its protest to December.

The resolution, which is expected to be discussed by the City Council next Tuesday, also urges city departments to bring Alarcon's proposed responsible banking measure back to the council for a final vote. The ordinance would divest city money from banks not cooperating with foreclosure prevention efforts and instead flow money into banks reinvesting in the community. Billions of dollars invested in banks could be affected.

Additionally, Council member Alarcon requested that Mayor Villaraigosa let protestors sleep overnight on the lawn of city hall, which is considered a public park, meaning it is closed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Nightly, protestors move their tents to the sidewalk. "The City is inadvertently contributing to a potential major public safety issue, should a vehicle swerve off the road," he wrote.

The photo used on this post is by Flickr user mikeywally. It was used under a Creative Commons License.

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