Occupy Miami Moves Back to Old Location at Government Center

Occupy Miami protesters had faced a 5 p.m. deadline to move back to their original location

Occupy Miami protesters moved back to their original location at Government Center on Tuesday after being given a deadline, a county spokeswoman said.

“It has been peaceful so far and we hope to keep it that way,” said Suzy Trutie, a county spokeswoman.

Trutie said the protesters moved by their 5 p.m. deadline.

The protesters had to switch locations on last week to the north lawn, about 50 feet away from where they had been demonstrating, so the county could complete construction on the roof of a
building.

The project was completed Monday and the county has issued a letter stating that they need them to move back to their original location.

While half of the people have moved, some still had their tents and belongings set up at the north lawn early Tuesday.

The protesters sent out a petition via email on Monday urging various organizations and contacts to reach out to the city officials and ask them not to revoke their permit to petition at Government Center and to support their First Amendment.

According to Trutie, the county was lenient in allowing Occupy Miami to continue their actions. The permit that was filled out originally by Occupy Miami leaders on Oct. 15 had a question mark in the space for the end date of the protest. The county requires that a new permit be filled out every week and the protesters have failed to do this as of Tuesday.

Alex Ospina, an Occupy protester, said there was nothing in the permit that said he had to reapply, and he said he believed it was an indefinite date.

Ospina said he wasn't going to reapply for the permit.

“Together we have shown America something pretty amazing and we can continue to show America what it really can be,” Bruce Wayne Stanley, a media organizer for Occupy Miami, said in the email.

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