Occupy Long Beach protesters may soon move from their current encampment in downtown Long Beach’s Lincoln Park to the campgrounds at El Dorado Park, according to a report by city employees for the Long Beach City Council.
El Dorado Park is located in a residential area near the I-605 freeway, about eight miles away from Lincoln Park.
The report outlined three main options: moving the group to El Dorado Park, amending municipal code that currently prohibits camping in public spaces or leaving the protesters in Lincoln Park where they are forced to move out of the park and onto the sidewalk every night at 10 p.m., with tents and other temporary structures subject to confiscation by the police.
The report was requested by the city two weeks ago, when the city council decided to postpone a decision until Dec. 6.
Moving the group to El Dorado Park, the only campground in Long Beach, would likely allow for police costs to be reduced, at the expense of protest visibility.
Barring further delays, the city will decide if they will amend municipal code to allow camping on Tuesday. If they decide against the amendment, OLB protesters may find themselves evicted in a manner similar to the recent Occupy Los Angeles protest.
The city estimated that OLB has cost taxpayers at least $320,777 since Oct. 16.
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