Forum Post: Amend bylaw for Occupy Kelowna?

"This is not democracy anymore. This is total fascism."

Those were the words of D. Earl Keegan, spokesman for the Occupy Kelowna movement moments after being denied a chance to address City Council Monday afternoon.

After a brief, but heated debate with Mayor Sharon Shepherd, about 50 members of the movement, many chanting 'shame, shame' left council chambers threatening legal action against the city.

What Keegan and protesters want is the ability to stay and camp in Kerry Park around the clock for as long as they need to have their voice heard.

Keegan admitted it could take years to get the social justice they are seeking.

"Council did speak about the request from some individuals from what is called Occupy Kelowna and the request to remain in the park overnight," Shepherd told council.

"Council at this time respects your right to peacefully protest from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. Those are the hours of our park operation. Those are the hours for all people to be in and out of our park and we will continue to respect those hours."

Shepherd opened her office to individuals or small groups of Occupy Kelowna who wished to meet with her, but, as a group, council agreed they would not be added to the Monday agenda.

That was not good enough for Keegan who says the issue is not over, threatening to take the city to court to get what they want.

"We do have a lawyer who is willing to listen to us and was part of advising us the whole time," says Keegan.

"We are going to go to the lawyer and get what we need to go to court and get an injunction because we've just been totally squashed by the city."

"We simply want them to stop enforcing the bylaws. People need to be warm and stuff while they are in that park at night. We are not going away."

"We have valid issues. We are going to address them."

Keegan says he spoke with Mayor Shepherd and Councillor Charlie Hodge, Michele Rule and Angela Reid-Nagy.

He says he was under the impression they would be placed on the agenda and given a chance to plead their case.

"We were not (placed on the agenda) and, to me, that was a complete travesty. I have built relationships I thought with these people and they threw that relationship out because I'm not a millionaire," adds Keegan.

"I expected that the councillors who said they would put us on the docket would have done that. I expected that even if they didn't put us on the docket they would, on faith alone, reach out to the public and say we listen to all the public."

"Your discretion is elitist, is fascist and good luck with your re-election bid," Keegan told councillors as he left Council Chambers.

He believes council was told by the 1 per cent of Kelowna that actually wants CD21 and 26 storey buildings to exclude them.

"If the 1 per cent here are controlling things, it's not good for any of us. They just care about money and not people," says Keegan.

"They don't care how many of us freeze to death in the park while we don't have tents -- they don't care how many of us don't have jobs -- they don't care how many of us want to open businesses. All they care about is their businesses, their money, their families, their everything. We pay the taxes, the 1 per cent doesn't."

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-66509-11-.htm#66509