Paul Bass Photo
While their counterparts continued to battle authorities in other cities, Occupy New Haven protesters met with officials to discuss how to continue working together when the weather gets warm — and other groups stake claim to the Green.
The frank, respectful, and crowded powwow took place in City Hall Wednesday afternoon, almost four months after protesters affiliated with a national movement began camping out on the upper Green to protest income inequality and corporate control of politics and the economy.
Wednesday’s exchange offered a marked contrast to the sometimes violent battles between occupiers and authorities in cities like Oakland and New York City. From the start New Haven cops and officials have worked with the dozens of occupiers camping on the Green.
Now a potentially divisive question looms: Will authorities allow occupiers to keep their tents permanently in place, indefinitely?
City Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts said he invited the protesters to talk about that now, rather than in the spring or early summer, when other events are planned on the Green and the issue could come to a head.
So the occupiers chose two dozen or so representatives to attend the meeting, gathering beforehand on the Green to agree on points different people would raise. Their attorney, Irv Pinsky (at far left in photo), showed up to applause in order to accompany them inside.
“We’re going to be allowed to grow marijuana!” Pinsky declared, earning more cheers.
“Everyone’s phone on silence!” one occupier called as the group approached City Hall’s front door ten minutes before their scheduled noon appointment.
“Don’t text during the meeting!” called another.
“Unless shit goes down!”
“And quit your cursing now…”
Video camera rolling, the troops tromped up to the second-floor mayor’s office. They learned the mayor was up in Hartford for the governor’s budget address.
So they returned to the hall trying to figure out how many could fit into one elevator at a time up to Smuts’ third-floor office. He settled the question himself by showing up. “I wasn’t expecting so large a meeting,” he said. Then he invited the crowd to Meeting Room 3 on the second floor …
… where the 24 occupiers and a host of city officials squeezed inside.
Smuts sat at one end of four pushed-together tables flanked by Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Black (at left in photo) and deputy parks chief Christy Hass (at right in photo). (Mayoral spokesman Elizabeth Benton is in the background.)
Smuts began by saying how “happy” he is with the way city officials and occupiers have worked together. The occupiers agreed. Then he said he wants to “start the conversation” about what happens when the weather turns warmer and other people need use of the Green. For instance, he noted, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is coming up in March.
“We’re good at parades!” an occupier interjected.
Smuts said officials were hoping to learn the occupiers’ plans for how long they plan to keep their tents up, and whether they want to pursue pitching them at another park.
“We are not the leadership of Occupy New Haven. We cannot make a decision for Occupy New Haven,” remarked Ina Staklo.
Rev. John Gage (pictured), an Occupy supporter who leads the United Church on the Green, spoke about the Green’s (and his congregation’s) “unique” historic role in protests ranging from the Amistad captives to the Mayday Black Panthers rally in 1970 to the homeless tent cities of the early ‘90s.
“No one wants this to become Oakland,” Gage told Smuts. “We understand we are not all the citizens of New Haven,” that others have the right to use the Green, too.
Smuts talked about how in addition to formal events that use the upper Green in warm weather — like the June Arts & Ideas festival — everyday citizens like to walk, play frisbee, or sit there during the day in nice weather. Some people feel intimidated to do that with Occupy New Haven dominated the turf, he said. “I know a lot of people don’t feel comfortable walking through.”
“Can I ask why?” asked occupier Ray Neal (pictured).
“People come with all kinds of preconceptions,” Smuts replied.
Neal: “Maybe we need to change their preconceptions.”
Smuts: “It’s a long-term issue …”
Neal: “We’re in it for the long term.”
Neal and others followed up by offering to plant grass seed and find other ways to improve the green. They said they’re happy to engage groups planning events.
KKK Would Have Access, Too
From left: Justin Sabatino, Sean Conlon, Ina Staklo, Tommy Doomsday, Ray Neal.
Smuts noted those groups have a “choice” whether or not to engage Occupy. Some may not want to.
“Why, are you having a KKK rally?” Pinsky shot back.
“Irv!” groaned the occupiers.
“We do allow free speech,” Smuts replied “If the KKK godforbid wanted to have a rally on the Green we’d have to accommodate that.”
“There’d be a lot of opposition to that,” noted an occupier.
“And we’d have to accommodate the counter-protest.”
Early in the meeting Smuts told occupiers he hadn’t come with any deadlines in mind. The occupiers continually pressed him to reveal what officials are hoping to see happen.
He replied that their preference would be to have occupiers remove permanent structures before an agreed-upon date so other people can have free access to the upper Green during the day; perhaps have occupiers re-erect their tents at night; perhaps retain a “small portion” of permanent structures, then set up tents and maybe an asked-for gardening spot at another city park.
“We don’t feel [Occupy] can occupy the entire space [on the upper Green] on a permanent basis,” Smuts said. “I hope that isn’t too extreme.”
“That’s pretty extreme,” Neal responded.
Occupy organizer Ben Aubin (pictured) — who videotaped his exchanges with Smuts — asked him if the city had an end date in mind for the permanent set-up.
“I didn’t want to come in with an end date in mind,” Smuts replied.
Aubin: “You didn’t want to? Or you didn’t.”
Smuts: “I didn’t want to. And I didn’t.”
Ray Neal delivered in the starkest terms a point the group had agreed upon before the meeting: That any talk of an end date “is a waste of time. We have voted on this many times. Until international change happens,” no one’s leaving.
“The corporate state has taken over everything. That little piece of dirt [on the Green] is the only thing I can keep right now. I’m not giving it up. Something has to be done about the fact that everything is privatized. Everything is for sale.”
Smuts assured the group that he’s not seeking an end date. He seeking a shared “strategy.”
Whom To Sue?
Attorney Pinsky interjected to ask whether the city, or the Proprietors of the Green — the private group that technically owns the Green — is responsible for these decisions. The city handles permitting and routine maintenance and day-to-day decisions about the Green on behalf of the Proprietors.
So then whom would we sue if it came to that? Pinsky asked. Probably both us and them, Smuts replied.
That led occupiers to ask Smuts why the Proprietors hadn’t shown up to the meeting. He said he’d checked in with the head Proprietor, Drew Days (a Yale law professor and former Clinton administration solicitor general), who’s out of town. He said he’d invite Days to the next meeting.
Everyone agreed to hold that meeting next week. In the meantime, the occupiers agreed to bring the big questions — whether to agree to a reduced footprint on the upper Green, a spot at another park, daytime tent roll-ups — to their thrice-weekly general assemblies to arrive at decisions. A small delegation will accompany city officials on a field trip to possible park sites. Assistant Fire Chief Black promised to draw up a list of safety laws the occupiers need to follow.
Then the occupiers departed for their tent city two blocks away on the Green. Oakland continued to feel far, far away.