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City Councilmen Tour Occupy L.A.'s City Hall Camp, Say Protesters Can Stay As Long as They Want
Photo by Gary Rides Bikes via the LAist Featured Photos pool
Since most of L.A.'s top officials have to head in and out of City Hall to get their work done, what they think of the current "occupation" of the area by protesters is surely worth noting.
It took one of the Council's regular meeting speakers, John Walsh ( L.A. Now generous calls him "a well-known political gadfly" to goad the Councilmembers to not only acknowledge the Occupy L.A. participants, but to go outside and tour their "tent city" and talk to the protesters.
Walsh walked with Councilmen Bill Rosendahl, Eric Garcetti, Ed Reyes and Dennis Zine through the protest area, where participants have set up a makeshift camp. The sentiment among the elected officials was that talking to them was the right thing to do, and some, including Rosendahl and Garcetti, said they supported the protesters.
In fact, Rosendahl and Garcetti stuck around to speak to the crowd--which necessitated approval from the group, which is run like an organized political body. No one objected, and the two men offered "fiery speeches," per L.A. Now, adding:
Sponsored message
When Garcetti shouted, “This is your City Hall!” the crowd repeated, "This is our City Hall!" “Stay as long as you need," Garcetti told them. "We’re here to support you.”
Check out some images from the Councilmen's visit via photojournalist Ted Soqui's blog.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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