Forum Post: Occupy New Haven…165 Days….in U.S. District Court March 28, 2012

March 29, 2012 The question of whether the Occupy New Haven encampment is protected by the First Amendment was not answered in U.S. District Court March 28, 2012………………Honorable Judge Mark Kravitz told occupiers Tuesday they could remain on the Green until April 9, 2012 without city interference….. Judge Kravitz also said he would aim to issue a decision on the First Amendment question before then………New Haven CT has welcomed ONH to stay since Oct. 15, 2011 (165Days) providing portable bathrooms and trash collection, ONH intends to stay until they see change in the world………Danielle DiGirolamo said “Setting up camp across from Yale was intentional, A lot of our leaders and presidents went there. We want to show future leaders what we’re facing"…. Occupier Ray Neal said "A visual message is more effective than any pamphlets we hand out. The (tents) are an example of where more folks are going to end up if the system isn’t checked,” ……John Horvack, legal counsel for the city, said he didn’t think the full scope of Occupy New Haven, which has involved “killing grass, endangering trees, using gasoline generators, using makeshift kitchens and sleeping overnight, is conduct relating to free speech.”…….. Horvack said later “For the purpose of today, it doesn’t matter who owns the Green. It’s a public forum and it is controlled regularly by the city.” Addressing the judge, Horvack said, “if you allow this encampment to stay, you are going to strip the government of (power to stop something like this) and then what is coming next? Who is coming next?”……Drew Days III, head of the Committee of the Proprietors of Common and Undivided Lands, the group that owns the Green, said "ONH encampment is damaging the grass and could kill elm trees that have been there for hundreds of years."…… No taxes have ever been imposed on the property, said Days. ONH Attorney Pattis questioned why that is the case if the land is, in fact, private…FullStory……..http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/03/29/news/new_haven/doc4f73db0eca1ab856246288.txt?viewmode=fullstory