Mayor Nutter Says City Will Not Force Anyone To Relocate From Dilworth Plaza
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Top Philadelphia police and other city officials entered a conference room inside City Hall around 3 Monday afternoon to talk about what's next for the Occupy Movement.
Mayor Michael Nutter said at the time, the city was not going to force anyone to relocate.
"While we're going through the permit process or permit application process, there's no action that is to be taken," said Nutter.
A large crane and other equipment are in place for a multi-million dollar construction project at Dilworth Plaza that is set to get underway soon.
This morning, Capt. William Fisher of the Philadelphia Police Department's civil affairs unit went tent-to-tent in a small section of the Occupy Philadelphia encampment, telling people they need to stay out of their tents until at least 4 p.m. as a crane removing scaffolding from the roof of City Hall operated along the north side of the building and the arm would be swinging over those tents (see related story).
"It's a safety issue," he explained.
Last week, Occupy Philadelphia filed for a permit to move across the street to Paine Plaza but were told by police they can't move without a permit.
But that permit was still up in the air this afternoon.
"We'll talk with Occupy Philly, or any of the people we've been talking to. There are a couple of components, a couple different groups," the mayor said.
One group, focused on Interfaith, invited Rev. Jesse Jackson to speak to the religious community. Jackson, who stayed for about an hour, also spoke out against the police who used pepper spray on occupy protesters at the University of California Davis.
"That should never happen," said Rev. Jackson. "So reminiscent of the southerners who unleashed dogs and fire hoses on people."
Reported by Jericka Duncan, CBS 3
