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8B Daily News – Wednesday, October 26, 2011 Patience tested over waste, crime at protest sites NEW YORK (AP) — Fed up with petty crime, the all-night racket of beating drums, the smell of human waste and the sight of tram- pled flowers and grass, police and neighbors are losing patience with some of the anti-Wall Street protests around the U.S. In Oakland police in riot gear fired tear gas and bean bags before daybreak Tues- day to disperse about 170 protesters who had been camping in front of City Hall for the past two weeks, and 75 people were arrest- ed. The mayor of Provi- dence, R.I., is threatening to go to court within days to evict demonstrators from a park. And businesses and resi- dents near New York's Zuc- cotti Park, the unofficial headquarters of the move- ment that began in mid- September, are demanding something be done to dis- courage the hundreds of protesters from urinating in the street and making noise at all hours. ''A lot of tourists coming down from hotels are so disgusted and disappointed when they see this,'' said Stacey Tzortzatos, manager of a sandwich shop near Zuccotti Park. ''I hope for the sake of the city the mayor does close this down.'' She complained that the protesters who come in by the dozen to use her bath- room dislodged a sink and caused a flood, and that police barricades are pre- venting her normal lunch crowd from stopping by. In Philadelphia, city offi- cials have been waiting almost two weeks for Occupy Philly to respond to a letter containing a list of health and safety concerns. City Managing Director Richard Negrin said offi- cials can't wait much longer to address hazards such as smoking in tightly packed tents, camp layouts that hin- der emergency access, and exposure to human waste. ''They just can't ignore us indefinitely,'' Negrin said Tuesday. ''Every day that they haven't addressed these public safety concerns simply increases the risk.'' Stephen Campbell, a protester in Boston, said the troublemakers are the minority. ''We have a policy here: no drugs, no alcohol,'' he Win WinWin Win You could $100* Just for sharing your local shopping and media preferences! Take the Pulse Research survey online only at: www.pulseresearch.com/redbluffdailynews Do it today – Survey will end when enough surveys are completed. *$100 gift certificates will be awarded to four individuals selected at random from among those completing the survey. Those selected may choose any store or business in Tehama County at which to redeem their gift certificate. Individual survey responses will not be shared with any third party. D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY ''Alot of tourists coming down from hotels are so disgusted and disappoint- ed when they see this. I hope for the sake of the city the mayor does close this down.'' —Stacey Tzortzatos, manager of a sandwich shop near Zuccotti Park said. ''Us occupiers really try to stick true to that. Other people who move in, who maybe have an alcohol problem or a drug problem, you know, we're not fully equipped to handle things like that.'' City officials in Oakland had initially been support- ive of the protesters, with Mayor Jean Quan saying that sometimes ''democra- cy is messy.'' But tensions reached a boiling point after a sexual assault, a severe beating and a fire were reported and paramedics were denied access to the camp, according to city officials. They also cited complaints about threaten- ing behavior and concerns about rats, fire hazards and public urination. When police moved in, they were pelted with rocks, bottles and utensils from people in the camp's kitchen area, but no injuries were reported. Protesters were taken away in plastic handcuffs, most of them arrested on suspicion of illegal lodging. Protesters disputed the city's claims about condi- tions at the camp. Lauren Richardson, a college stu- dent from Oakland, said that volunteers collected garbage and recycling every six hours, that water was boiled before being used to wash dishes, and that rats had infested the park long before the camp went up. ''It was very neat. It was very organized,'' Richard- son said. In New York, the neigh- borhood board scheduled a meeting Tuesday night to vote on a resolution that proposed off-site portable bathrooms funded by local donors, said Julie Menin, head of the board. The reso- lution also requested that loud noises, like the blast of air horns and group chanti- ng, be limited to two hours during the day. ''Drumming has been going on late at night,'' she said. The park's owner, Brookfield Office Proper- ties, tried to push the pro- testers out two weeks ago to clean it but backed off at the last minute after a public outcry. Menin said the neigh- borhood does not believe the protesters should be kicked out. ''We do not want the city to use force in any way,'' she said. ''And we think it's possible to address quality-of-life issues.'' In Minneapolis, Hen- nepin County Commission- er Jeff Johnson said some constituents who work downtown are getting a lit- tle tired of the piles of belongings cluttering the plaza, while others are wor- ried about escalating costs. The sheriff's department has already spent more than $200,000, most of that in overtime. About 100 to 150 demonstrators crowd the plaza during the day. ''I think most people I talk to are either supportive or understanding of peo- ple's right to say what they want and hold a protest or a rally, but when you start looking at the costs and how this is stringing out, it is wearing on some peo- ple's patience,'' Johnson said. ''At first it looked like they were having a rally or trying to make a statement, but now it just looks like a game to them. Most people don't support that.'' Fariyal Lakhani, owner of a kiosk next to an Atlanta park where a few dozen protesters have camped out, said people aren't buying candy bars and sodas, or they want things for free or at a steep discount. ''We're very upset,'' Lakhani said. ''There's no business. Too much argu- ment.'' A 7-Eleven one block from the protests in Port- land, Ore., reported a high- er-than-normal $6,000 in shoplifting since the protest began Oct. 6. The store has added a security guard. In Providence, Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare initially said he would give the activists two or three days to remain in Burnside Park without a permit. But Monday night marked the 10th night of the encamp- ment, now consisting of more than 100 tents. City officials said the grass is getting damaged, and they want to close the restrooms and prepare the park for winter. In Washington, protest- ers in McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza appear to be getting along with the police and the neighbors. One activist, Wes Kirk- patrick, said he believes the demonstration in McPher- son Square is benefiting from its location just blocks from the White House, and he does not expect the fed- eral government to crack down. ''It would be hypo- critical for Obama to do anything because he legit- imized our grievances pub- licly,'' he said. McPherson Square is surrounded by banks, restaurants, law firms and other businesses. Ayanna Brown, general manager of the popular restaurant Georgia Brown's, said the protesters don't even come in and ask to use the restroom. Local Businesses! DISCOUNTS bundled business-building promotional packages on print, online On Sale OCT 17-28 ONLY! Only available through D NEWSAILY (530) 527-2151 RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Contact your advertising representative today