Despite Occupy Asheville’s undeniable impact on the local protest scene, perhaps the movement’s biggest difficulties concerned just that: its attempts at an actual occupation.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Tag: protest
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A difficult dance: Council, Occupy seek elusive common ground
What happened when a new protest movement clashed with an Asheville City Council with former activists in its ranks. Photo by Bill Rhodes
United/divided: Occupy Asheville shakes up local protest culture
[Editor’s note: The Occupy movement’s unusual nature makes it hard to generalize about the group’s aims, beliefs and even actions. In developing this story, Xpress spent months talking with a variety of folks both inside and outside the movement. Nonetheless, there are doubtless other participants whose views differ from those presented here.] In Asheville, a […]
Occupy Asheville camp cleared, three arrested
Enforcing a new city ordinance, the Asheville Police Department cleared tents from the Occupy Asheville campsite — one of the last public Occupy encampments in the country — in front of City Hall late yesterday evening. Three protesters, claiming the rules infringe their rights, were arrested for ordinance violations. Photo by Bill Rhodes.
Council gives Occupy Asheville camp Feb. 17 deadline, supports keeping water system
In a Valentine’s Day meeting, Asheville City Council voted to evict the Occupy Asheville encampment in front of City Hall, one of the last remaining in the country, on Feb. 17. Council also unanimously backed a resolution supporting the city retaining control of the water system in the face of a state study. (Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Occupy Asheville camp among the last in the country
With the recent wave of evictions of Occupy camps around the country, Occupy Asheville’s encampment in front of City Hall is one of the few still standing. Photo by Bill Rhodes.
Impasse over Occupy Asheville camp continues
Last night, Occupy Asheville’s coordinating council agreed on a letter asserting its camp in front of City Hall is “a representation of the people’s natural rights.” While not explicitly rejecting a proposal by Asheville City Council to voluntarily decamp, the letter didn’t accept it either, leaving an impasse over the fate of the camp heading into Council’s Feb. 14 meeting.
A deal between the city and Occupy Asheville? Maybe.
At the longest Asheville City Council meeting in recent years, the debate over the Occupy Asheville encampment was front and center. Motions both to create a permitting process for the camp and to ban it outright failed narrowly. In the end, Council agreed to put a resolution opposing corporate personhood on the Feb. 14 agenda, alongside a motion to give campers a deadline to leave. But, there will be porta-johns.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Asheville City Council preview: Camped out
A proposed permitting process for the Occupy Asheville encampment (which the protesters have rejected), is the main issue on Asheville City Council’s agenda tonight. Council will also consider a 92-unit apartment complex in South Asheville and changes to the city’s annexation plans, among other issues.
Behind the proposal to permit the Occupy Asheville camp
Tonight, Asheville City Council will vote on a proposal that would allow protest encampments — like the one Occupy Asheville members have established — in front of City Hall as long as individual campers received permits first. The ordinance would also allow demonstrations after the 10 p.m. park curfew in front of the Vance Monument.
Over 200 march to Asheville federal building to protest corporate personhood
Over 200 people showed up for a rally this afternoon protesting the Citizens United decision and calling for a constitutional amendment banning corporate personhood. The protesters marched from Pritchard Park to the federal building in downtown Asheville. Photo by Bill Rhodes
Locals gather to demand federal investigation into banking industry
About 15 people gathered Jan. 19 in Pritchard Park across from the Bank of America and Wells Fargo offices in downtown Asheville to protest Wall Street’s involvement in the foreclosure crisis and to demand that President Barack Obama hold the big banks accountable by ordering a federal investigation into their practices. photo by Jake Frankel
Contra reports, Occupy Asheville encampment will stay
While an assembly of some Occupy Asheville protesters came to a consensus last night to break camp tomorrow, a spokesperson for the protest tells Xpress that “the Occupation isn’t going anywhere” and protesters will remain in front of City Hall.
WE DO campaign expands to South Carolina
The Asheville-based WE DO campaign — where couples try to register for marriage licenses as a way of demanding an end to laws prohibiting same-sex marriage — is expanding to South Carolina. On Jan. 17-18, three LGBT couples will request licenses in Greenville, S.C.
Marchers protest immigration arrests at Shogun Buffet
About 100 people braved a cold, windy Sunday afternoon to march in support of those arrested by federal immigration officers earlier this month at the Shogun Restaurant.
Asheville City Council preview: Of camps, contracts and apartment complexes
At its meeting tonight, Asheville City Council will consider new ordinances — aimed at Occupy Asheville — banning camping on city property; renewing a contract with First Transit to manage the city’s transit system and approval of the Aventine apartment complex just outside the city.
Occupy Asheville prepares for City Council meeting
Naomi Archer, one of the Occupy Asheville protesters, speaks at a press conference held in City-County Plaza. Occupy Asheville opposes three proposed city ordinances that would ban camping, storage and enclosed structures on city property. City Council will vote on the ordinances at tonight’s meeting, Dec. 13.
Occupy Asheville to oppose city’s proposed camping ordinances
Occupy Asheville has announced its opposition to proposed city ordinances that would ban camping, storage and enclosed structures on city property. The ordinances, which Asheville City Council will vote on tomorrow, Dec. 13, were drafted in response to an encampment by the protesters in front of City Hall.
Photo by Bill Rhodes
Six arrested at clean energy protest in downtown Asheville
Six clean-energy protesters were arrested on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 1, in front of the Bank of America branch office on Patton Avenue. According to APD Lt. Stony Gonce, all were arrested for second-degree trespassing on the bank’s property during the event.
Asheville police arrest Vets after midnight in Veterans Day protest downtown (UPDATED)
Based on reports from the Asheville Police Department and from two citizens on the scene, Asheville police arrested three Veterans just minutes after midnight on Nov. 12 for violating the city’s 10 p.m. park curfew, in a vigil that began Friday night of Veterans Day before the curfew and continued until the arrests occurred. (Image from video by Matt Johnson.)
Occupy Asheville protester arrested for passing out fliers
Under a city ordinance banning advertisement “by the distribution of samples or printed matter within the city,” the Asheville Police Department arrested Helen Roberts,an Occupy Asheville participant for distributing fliers at a Nov. 2 rally. Roberts says the fliers she distributed were pie charts endorsing the protest’s positions, and that she was not soliciting donations.