Mayor Awaits Report on Occupy Dallas; Group Vows It Won't Protest Omni, Vets Parade

By Robert Wilonsky Tue., Nov. 8 2011 at 10:07 AM

Categories: City Hall

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Photo by Chris Howell

In the wake of two reports concerning the city's response to Saturday's arrest of eight Occupy Dallasites, some Friends of Unfair Park have asked: Is the city going to boot the protesters camping out behind Dallas City Hall, allowed by agreement following last month's trip to the courthouse? The short answer: Not sure, not yet.

Paula Blackmon, Mayor Mike Rawlings's chief of staff, tells Unfair Park this morning that the mayor is awaiting a report from City Manager Mary Suhm and Dallas Police Chief David Brown, which, she says, "will dictate what route we're taking." I asked Blackmon when that doc is due.

"The mayor would like it sooner rather than later, but there's no specific date," Blackmon says. "But he wants it thorough and accurate, which we will know it will be. And whenever that review comes in, actions will be taken if needed." Suhm is unavailable to comment till later today; DPD media relations is checking with the chief to see when he believes the review will be completed. (Update at 11:07 a.m.: DPD says they don't have an update and "are not responding" to inquiries about the due date of the report.)

Glynn Wilcox, who helped hash out to the agreement with the city, hadn't heard of this report till I mentioned it to him this morning. As far as he's concerned, the Occupiers did nothing wrong Saturday -- not even Stephen Benavides, who still sits in Dallas County Jail on a charge of assaulting a public official. (His bond has been set at $50,000.) Regardless, Wilcox says, "I don't think the actions off-site would have anything to do with on-site."

He also says council member Tennell Atkins's concerns over Occupy Dallas interfering with Friday's opening of the city-owned Omni Hotel and the downtown Veterans Day Parade are unfounded. After all, says Wilcox, the Occupiers' agreement with the city reads that "Occupy Dallas shall not interfere with special events that occur near the subject property, including but not limited to the Turkey Trot, the Christmas parade ... or events at the Dallas Convention Center." I asked Wilcox if that includes the hotel.

"Exactly," he says. "That's understood very well within the protest work group -- special events, we're not making a scene. And the Veterans Day Parade, which honors their service to this country, is not something to be protested."

Says Wilcox, "We value the working relationship we've been able to have with the city of Dallas. They're committed to allowing First Amendment protected speech as much as anybody, and have done a really good job in ... I don't want to say facilitating, because they haven't given us special treatment. But they've done a stand-up job of making sure everybody's informed on both sides. I reached out to DPD yesterday to sit down and formulate a 'How to Protest in Dallas' manual. I think that would help everybody, noit just our side, but anyone who wants to express their First Amendment rights in town."

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Who cares what they've painted on their tents, that’s their prerogative. Veteran's Day Parade will & should be respected & honored (that should go without saying). I must agree though on the misuse of funds for the newest "art piece"/useless POS (albeit very “cool man”) bridge & the other newest Dallas attraction known as the Omni Hotel. How about instead of inciting & eliciting violence or ramping up your presence at OD, Dallas, you switch gears & start working on the damned streets & various other issues that need your attention. That’s just ONE of the many issues the city HASN’T been focusing on. Clearly, we are a competitive city & needed the hotel to be connected to DCC. There weren’t enough hotels in the city already, right?
thats getting old, actually do something with the protest please. I mean all Ive heard now for 3 weeks is the OD people saying the shit you just did, we get it, the city cant stop you from protesting, now protest something. the fact that the city refuses to fight you on this is making you all seem really ignorant. so keep banging that head against the wall
exactly, Terrible Radio Personalty's Dirty Nether regions. The hotel is the epitomy of corruption, as is the trinity toll road bridge to nowhere. But instead of protesting where the local decision-makers are, let's protest a bank that is headquartered over 1000 miles away.
There was no plan to protest the Veterans' Day Parade. And a "A "'How to Protest in Dallas' manual"?? No, no Dallas City Hall. You have the U.S. Constitution - Amendment 1 to guide you: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
the whole damn city is corrupt. WTF, the hotel was shoved down our throats, so was the pretty new arched bridge. You realize the taxpayers are on the hook for that stupd albatross of a hotel right? that seems like it'd be right up your alley. Misuse of taxpayers money. Then again when the OD finally leaves, the taxpayers will be paying to clean up and resod and fix the whole area the OD'ers are living on
We are protesting corruption to sum most of it up. Why would we want to interfere with anything that is not bad and jeporadize our good relationship with the Mayor or City Hall, City Workers, DPD, Citizens of Dallas or visitors, etc... Occupy Dallas will remain peaceful towards everyone. This is a non-violent protest and has been for over a month now unless you want to count Lt. Williams trying to start a riot on the sidewalk of a bank and me getting run over by a herd of cops trying to knock me down and destroy my camera that showed EVERTHING five feet away from where it happened. I felt like a catcher at homeplate with the cops trying to knock the ball (my camera) and me to the ground. I was on the sidewalk and that was unessary roughness but I'm used to that in Dallas from police so whatever. I was treated with police brutality back around 2002 and for some reason the officer who arrested me and slammed my ear into the hood of his car "cound'nt remember" his badge number. I was thrown in jail and had the worst night of my life and was realsed the next morning and was told I had "time served". My ear was in excrutiating pain for almost a month with constant horrible headaches. I tried to just put it behind me because that's what I used to do back then, and next thing you know a few weeks later I recieved a letter in the mail that says I need to pay for getting arrested that night??? I was'nt doing anything illegal that night either by the way which also confused me on why all of that happened unless I looked just like somebody he did'nt like but thats still no exscuse. The fine was like 70-80 something bucks so I decided to just pay it. What else can I do working all the time with a family. I missed two days of work and waited in line two different days because both days I went up there nobody could find any records of me in trouble with Dallas. I dont have time for this bull so I gave up. Months later the mysterious charge against me turned into a warrant. What a joke. I have alot of friends in law enforcement and I know there is good in bad in almost everything but this cop is a freaking idiot and I would love for us to step into a ring with some gloves on soon. I try to stay out of Dallas as much as possible because it is so dangerous and the police don't get paid enough to FIGHT CRIME. All they do is write parking tickets, harrass anyone they feel like at the time, stare all night at a peaceful assembly while across the street people are getting their cars broken into, not making sure my rare Canadian Honda Civic DX dose'nt get stolen and stripped down from top to bottom after parking it in a well lit area right outside of where I was working (Crowdus&Elm), refusing to help with the GTA- when I asked an officer on the street where it happened what to do about it, he said, and I quote, "Call 911 I'm on break". Evidence shows the police protecting and serving a major corpoations sidewalk at Bank of America Saturday??? We were on the sidewalk!! Nobody even tried to walk into their stupid building and we where all treated like criminals. I can go on and on forever and alot of other victims can too. I just wish DPD would leave their egos at home with their battered wives before starting the day.
Why would they paint all that stupid shit all over their tents? They painted the word "rainbow" over two curvy green lines. That is the dumbest shit. Ever.
LOL, I'd be there for sure.
In San Diego, a food cart vender's truck and cart were covered with blood and urine because she wouldn't give out free food, now that gets attention.
Occupy Dallas has been, at best, a waffeling milquetoast group when it comes to protesting. Save the chase branch sit-in and this weekends protest, there hasnt been much from these guys..I have a feeling theres some dissention within the group concering their actions and coverage since the sexual assult and CPS visit(s).
I thought protests generally revolved around civil disobedience while touting your constitutional right to free speech. the tweerps aren't being any where near civilly disobediant. Cmon folks push the envelope, march on the Hotel, tag the new bridge over the trinity, march down main or pacific stopping all train service, do something, this seems like the laziest group of protesters ever, or is the fact the 75% of the OD are really just homeless people with a place to legally camp out at for a while?
Check there web page. They seriously start their workday at 2:30 PM. Could this be correct? These losers lack the industriousness to even get a real movement going! Sound reveille and help them learn what time the 99% go to work.
Rangers and Liverpool fans would support anything that disrupts his unicorn-riding lifestyle as well.
If they wanted to protest in front of Tom Hicks house I can think of a few thousand Stars fans that would be on board......
that was not called for, but funny. especially the part about toppling food carts.
The protestors are missing a great opportunity to position the Occupy Dallas movement in the national big leagues, and steal thunder from from Boston, DC, Oakland and other occupied American cities. Firstly, they need more kids. Not grown up kids, but some in the 2-4 foot range. It's much easier to shut down streets and storm businesses if you have some human shields. If the cops happen to gas or club a kid, that's PR gold.Secondly, they need to capture some one percenters in the wild, as was done in DC. The Omni opening would be the perfect target as the attendees are likely fat cats, private jet owners, people who go to Vegas and other usual suspects. Surround the Omni and plant a flag. Strike a little fear.Thirdly, they need to more seriously disrupt any area business concerns deemed insufficiently unionized or unsupportive of the movement, even food carts. Once profit-seeking capitalists are confronted with the possibility of being shut down by the People and having their property destroyed, they'll get on board.Lastly, they need to knock some heads - preferably some little overly-wealthy little old lady or some other symbol of oppression, this will get old people with too much money on board with the cause.I suspect the reason Dallas is so low key and un-noticed is because of the lack of professionalism as evidenced by the paltry national media coverage. All they need do is learn by example, and maybe bring in some Union folks to get things rolling. Only then will their demands be realized. Only then will their people be set free. Wake up Dallas!