Occupy occupied

The #OWS settlement in Christchurch's Hagley Park has shifted from being an encampment of a few local protesters and a lot of international backpackers (from reports I'd seen back in October) to now mostly consisting of, well, I'll let them tell you:

PROTEST GROUP Occupy Christchurch has dwindled to only two genuine members and has been overtaken by ‘‘a whole lot of bludgers’’, a protester says.

The occupier, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said most of the people now occupying the Hagley Park village were unsavoury elements who usually stayed at the City Mission and simply wanted access to the free food and bedding.

He said they had criminal and drug-using backgrounds and their presence had scared off most of the genuine Occupy protesters.

The two remaining occupiers wanted to oust the ‘‘free-loaders’’.

‘‘There’s a whole lot of people who . . . don’t even know the background,’’ he said.

‘‘We will ask them to leave and if they don’t we will ask the police for help if necessary, because they are too rough for us to handle.’’

City Missioner Michael Gorman said he was not aware of it happening as he was out of the city, but the complaint could not be simply that the people did not meet the ideal protester image.

‘ ‘ If they are from the City Mission, as long as they are not breaking the law, they’ve got as much right to be there as anyone else does,’’ he said.

‘‘If they are breaking the law, police should be notified . . . It sounds like the solution lies in their hands.’’

Gorman's right.

Christchurch seems to be following international experience, with 99 percenters (or two guys, whatever) figuring out that they have to devise mechanisms to sort the deserving (themselves) from the undeserving (homeless) poor in handing out free food and kit. I hope they take the right lesson from all this.

Perhaps the Camp's composition will change with the advertised Ninja gig by Amanda Palmer next week. At least for the duration of the show.

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‘Criminal’ element take over park site
By CATE BROUGHTON
Christchurch Mail
18 Jan 2012
PROTEST GROUP Occupy Christchurch has dwindled to only two genuine members and has been overtaken by ‘‘a whole lot of bludgers’’, a protester says. The occupier, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said most of the people now...read more...

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