Occupy Long Beach protesters met before the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday in an attempt to secure the rights to camp at Lincoln Park overnight.
About 30 people were given a maximum of 5 minutes per person to speak before the city council during the time allotted for public comment.
Most speakers were in favor of Occupy Long Beach and said they believe the First Amendment gives them the right to have a guaranteed, city-supported free speech zone where city laws that interfere with protests will not be enforced.
“We are not occupying to sleep or to camp out,” Cal State Long Beach student and Occupy Long Beach protester Ingrid Rosalas said at the meeting. “We are occupying in protest to assemble and redress our grievances. I understand there are city ordinances in places that do not allow us to set up tents and stay in a public park after 10 p.m. I understand these ordinances are for the public safety. However, we have our own peace-keepers who make sure to keep our Occupiers safe through the night.”
Long Beach Police Department Chief of Police Jim McDonnell also commented on police involvement.
“We have been flexible in allowing tents during the day,” McDonnell said. “When it comes to nightfall at 10 [p.m.], we enforce the no-camping laws. Then, individuals that were on the grass move over to the sidewalk area from Lincoln Park, but in a way they don’t block the sidewalk. They are allowed to stay there and exercise their free speech right.”
On Wednesday, Occupy Long Beach protesters traveled to another meeting — the Cal State Board of Trustees meeting — where officials voted to raise tuition by 9 percent.
The meeting went into recess after protesters refused to stop speaking even though the public comment period ended. Then, protesters smashed the large glass door of the headquarters, leading to a confrontation with the police that resulted in an officer being injured.
Occupy Long Beach organizers claimed at least two of the group’s members were “maced” by police at the meeting.
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