Occupy Tulsa II: The Camp
Occupy Tulsa demonstrator Rion Wolf grabs a snack out of a supply tent in Chapman Centennial Green Park where the movement has been located since Saturday. Several demonstrators have stayed overnight at the park, which may be in violation of a city ordinance.
When I last encountered the Occupy Tulsa movement more than two weeks ago, it was for a march through downtown. At that time there wasn’t a permanent occupation spot like in other major cities. That has now changed. It is small, it is quiet, but it is there. Protestors are currently trying to negotiate with police and city officials to keep the location active 24 hours a day. A city ordinance prohibits overnight sleeping within parks.
Occupy Tulsa demonstrator Diane Drennan stands next to a sign of rules posted on a tent at Chapman Centennial Green Park on Monday, Oct. 31, 2011 where the group has stayed since Saturday. "I'm here because I need to be here," said Drennan, who works at Peace of Mind bookstore. JEFF LAUTENBERGER/Tulsa World
Occupy Tulsa organizer Chris King stencils a sign during a sit-in at Chapman Centennial Green Park on Oct. 31, 2011. The finished sign read "Global Insurrection Against Banker Occupation." King has been attending protests during the day but stays at his home at night. JEFF LAUTENBERGER/Tulsa World
Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan, left, and Mark Hogan, chief of security for the City of Tulsa, talk with Occupy Tulsa organizer Stephanie Lewis during a demonstration on Monday, Oct. 31, 2011 at Chapman Centennial Green Park. Jordan informed the group that a current city ordinance would not allow them to sleep on the green overnight and must move onto a sidewalk. "We've been using our discretion in not enforcing that ordinance," said Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan, who met with protesters on Monday to try and arrange for a new location.