The city of Los Angeles is taking a very different approach from other cities to removing Occupiers from city parks and grounds.
In New York, police in riot gear swept through Zucotti Park in the early hours of the morning, rousting protesters and dumping their belongings unceremoniously in bins and plastic bags. In October, a police raid on the Occupy camp in Oakland ended with tear gas and rubber bullets. In Philadelphia; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Dallas, Texas, police have raided and razed Occupy encampments with violent flare-ups ensuing between protesters and police.
But not here. According to the Los Angeles Times, city officials and members of Occupy Los Angeles have been meeting to work out a deal to end the encampment around City Hall peacefully. The city is offering them 10,000 square feet of downtown office space for a dollar a year, some farmland and additional housing for the homeless Occupy contingent if they all pack up and clear off.
Whether or not the deal with go through is anyone's guess. Many in the Occupy movement weren't pleased with the idea that some members were taking it upon themselves to negotiate with city officials.
WEIGH IN:
If the Occupiers take the city's deal, who are the winners and losers? Are city officials right in making this offer, or are they sanctioning a loosely organized protest movement’s actions? And, the L.A encampment is the last big Occupy to still stand. What does the movement lose if they lose L.A?
Guests:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC reporter
Ms. PJ Davenport, activist with OccupyLA; freelance television and multi-media producer