Protesters in Albany’s Lafayette and Academy Parks in recent days have begun spouting a new mantra: “You can’t evict an idea.” While this may be true, it certainly seems as though state troopers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and even Mayor Jerry Jennings (a previously sympathetic figure), have a mantra of their own: “Out of sight, out of mind.”
At the launch of the Occupy Albany movement, protesters were granted a permit to take up residence in both Lafayette and Academy parks. When this permit expired, folks in the Lafayette Park were told they had to abide by state instructions to evacuate the park by the 11 p.m. curfew, as it is a state-owned park, whereas Academy is not. City police are not enforcing a curfew at Academy, a city-owned park, while “Lafayetters” were given notice that they stand being arrested by State police should they continue to congregate after hours.
On the inaugural night of the curfew, thirty-nine protesters crossed the street from Academy park to Lafayette, breaking the curfew and consequently getting arrested. Since then, there have been a dozen more protests, but no prosecutions, as Albany District Attorney David Soares is refusing to prosecute any Occupiers, claiming it to be a waste o f time and money. This tug of war between legislators and government officials has been going on since early August, and only now is it coming to a close.
A police raid on the Occupy protestors on Thursday, December 22nd, closed the encampment permanently, resulting in four arrests: two protesters, two police officers. The ‘legal ambush’ (as referred to by Occupy protestors) was the conclusion of efforts by the city of Albany to close camp by obtaining an eviction order from a New York Supreme Court judge. The raid itself turned violent- a city councilman, among others, was severely injured by pepper spray.
Those who were arrested during the raid are now being prosecuted, and, yes, by D.A. David Soares. Police brutality and violence due to mob mentality are equally dangerous, and equally harmful to society. While violent ‘Occupy’ movements have gotten more national press than those of a more stoic nature, shouldn’t we as a society revere peaceful debate over hot- headed arguments? Will the movement, in any form, violent or not, create any sort of meaningful change? When a people feel as though they are ignored by their government, it is understandable that conflict arises. However, until the raid, Albany had been a leader of Occupy movements, demonstrating how protesting could be an intellectual form of debate rather than a public debunking of establishment and authority. Hopefully, the ideas of Occupy- that we are allowed, encouraged, to question how a system works, and create ways it might better work for us- are kept without the presence of the protestors.