City Hall OK With 'Occupy LA'? Mayor Hands Out Rain Ponchos To Protesters
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Protesters camped out on the lawn outside City Hall said Thursday that — rain or shine — Los Angeles officials are starting to show signs of support for the movement that has spawned demonstrations in multiple U.S. cities.
KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports protesters with "Occupy Los Angeles" may no longer have to move off the property on a daily basis.
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An estimated 400 people are spending their sixth day on the streets of downtown voicing their frustration over the direction of the U.S. economy, jobs, and health care.
"For the last five nights, we've been flip-flopping back and forth," said protester Clark Davis. "We were told that if we slept on the sidewalks at night we'd be arrested...we were then told that we could sleep on the sidewalks and that we could not sleep in the parks."
The group now believes they may be able to stay on the lawn permanently and that sentiment in City Hall for their platform could be growing.
At least one official is expressing support for the movement: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is holding a jobs town hall meeting on Thursday, reportedly has been distributing ponchos to the protesters to stay dry during the recent rain storm.
"We, quite likely, could have the support of the city in this movement," said Davis.
