LINCOLN – Following a request to vacate, Occupy Lincoln is contemplating its next move.
Occupy Lincoln is an organized group protesting the elite’s power in the government.
They have been protesting at the Centennial Mall since last fall and have been asked by the city of Lincoln to vacate before March 1.
Not long ago, the group held a general assembly meeting to discuss the fate of the Occupy Lincoln Movement at Indigo Bridge Coffee Shop.
The small group sat in the back of the coffee shop and started off the meeting with introductions. The facilitator showed the hand signals and protocols to make the meeting run smoothly.
The discussion focused on the fate of the Occupy Lincoln movement. The head of the finance committee resigned from her post and asked the group to look at the fate of the movement, which she termed as the “white elephant” in the room.
They broke off into small discussion groups to help focus on the topic of where the group is headed due to the city’s construction plans.
One of the campers of the movement talked of the right of citizens to occupy the space at the Centennial Mall as their right of domain to be vigil watchpersons of the state.
This camper believed it was his right to occupy this piece of land to protest the elite’s power in our country’s government.
The city is arguing the movement is interfering with other citizen’s use of the land. The city mentioned in their letter to the Occupy Movement that it needed the space for the staging of construction equipment for the renovation of the area.
A portion of the movement’s members talked of not leaving the area without a fight. Other members talked about moving the protest to a green space near Capital Parkway.
One of the group’s members, Deborah Yost, stated, “We need to get the big picture and long term view taken into account. Would it serve us better to get a storefront?”
The group decided it would add a new teepee to the camping area at Centennial Mall. They mentioned it would serve a message to Nebraskan people that they were here to stay.
The members agreed the teepee would also be useful in protecting the campers from the elements and be a spot for gatherings and meetings.