Nearly 40 Protestors Arrested Overnight at Occupy Austin

[Hissyspit]

Source: Austin American-Statesman

Nearly 40 protestors arrested overnight at Occupy Austin

By Andrea Ball 10/30/2011 10:12 AM

Thirty-eight Occupy Austin protesters were arrested at City Hall Sunday in a dispute that started over food tables on the plaza.

The incident was the largest group arrest since protesters began a 24/7 occupation at City Hall on Oct. 6. Four people were arrested on Oct. 13 for refusing to leave the plaza while a cleaning crew power-washed the plaza, but since then, occupiers and police have maintained a generally cooperative relationship.

- snip -

But some protesters called the arrests an overreaction.

“On a night where there are hundreds of drunks driving around town, they have all these resources here to take down three food tables,” said occupier Dave Cortez. “It’s just unnecessary. We are a peaceful body.”

Read more: http://m.statesman.com/statesman/pm_21986/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=JS9AemCJ

[christx30]

1. I live in Austin

this makes me want to get on the bus and head on down there tonight.

[iris27]

2. And last night, of all nights? For those not in Austin, last night was basically the huge Halloween

bash. They close 6th street (lots of clubs) to vehicular traffic every year. It's also "no refusal" this weekend in anticipation of all the drunk drivers.

And they're sparing forces from keeping the streets safe to arrest people over tables? Argh.

[rainbow4321]

5. I tuned into their livestream right after it happened

There was a man, sounded like/looked like a professor (he had on the garb that they wear during graduation ceremonies"). He started out his lengthy interview by saying:

"For the last 45 minutes I felt like I was in Syria, for the last 45 minutes I felt like I was in Iran, for the last 45 minutes I felt like I was in North Korea"...he went onto name a few more oppressed countries. He was so damn smart and articulate that people in the chat room that was with the livestream were saying he needed to be directed to the M$M media NOW!

[SteveM]

3. How City of Austin deals with opposition: Bureaus, agencies, rules, regs...

more bureaus, procedures, departments, bureaus, boards, committees, study groups, bureaus.... divisions.

You shoulda heard the one about a party just across the lake in South Austin: A keg party with pot-luck. In come the police along with code enforcement, and warned the party-participants about demonstrators attracted to the free-food (they are like grackles, I guess). When asked how the City of Austin knew about the party? They said it was flagged on You Tube.

CSI____________, coming to a theater near you.

[rainbow4321]

4. 5 of those arrested were OccupyDallasites

Who went down there to show support :( Last report said that 3 have been released, 2 still being held.