Occupy the Farm has declared victory in the run-in with the police on the Bulb, posting on Facebook: "Folks at the Albany bulb stood down the police and backhoe twice today! No homes destroyed! Meeting and bonfire at the bulb at 8pm tonight, breakfast at 8am. Not a full on occupation, but bringing tents for those who want to keep watch is welcome."
While the OTF 'happy dance' may seem silly, today's credible report that the city was stopped from removing an encampment that had only been occupied by its resident for a few days is troubling, as is the continued importation of people and tents. If OTF is moving in people and tents, we can be sure others are taking advantage of the opportunity as well.
It seems incredible that even now the Bulb remains open to new settlement, and a camp occupied for a few days is to be treated no differently from a camp that was in place in May when the City made its decision to resume enforcement of the anti-camping ordinance. There is no credible legal reason to allow this, and if there is a practical reason it has not been explained to the public.
Let's hope that the recent announcement that some campers have moved into housing is the beginning of a welcome trend, and that at least the influx to the Bulb can be stopped sooner rather than later.
And let's hope the campers stay warm, the protestors stay calm, and the law enforcement officers stay safe.
