City Tells Philly Protesters To Leave Plaza
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — City officials have posted notices in the Occupy Philadelphia encampment, telling the protestors they must move from Dilworth Plaza, on the west side of City Hall. Some have agreed to go, others are still planning to stay.
The deadline for a move is Monday.
A crane will arrive Monday morning to repair windows on the west side of city hall -- a preliminary to a major construction project on Dilworth Plaza.
Deputy Mayor Rich Negrin says Occupy was told when they got their permit that it would expire at the beginning of construction; the notice was to let them know that was imminent.
"What we wanted to do was give sufficient notice.
But the leaderless movement has been fractured by the notion of moving with a breaking away group called "Reasonable Solutions" agreeing to move across the street to the apron of the Municipal Services Building, while a larger group is still thinking it over.
One factor at work is that organized labor, which supports Occupy, says it will have to withdraw support if the group stands in the way of the construction project, which is expected to employ 800 people.
Reported by Pat Loeb, KYW Newsradio
