Occupy Houston as of Monday is occupying nothing as the last remnants of the protest group was ordered to leave Tranquility Park where they have been encamped off and on for the past four months, according to the Houston Chronicle.
What Has Occupy Houston Been Doing since it began?
Occupy Houston arrived, along with similar groups in other Texas cities, with protests in early October, a few weeks after the main Occupy Wall Street camp arose in New York. Several hundred people gathered at Houston's City Hall to call for what they termed social and economic justice. They were particularly irate at bank bailouts and the relationship between government and big business.
A month later, a number of Occupy Houston protestors were arrested at the Port of Houston and were charged with felonies related to civil disobedience actions in an attempt to shut the port down. The protest was part of a coordinated action designed to shut down American ports, mainly on the West Coast.
The Occupy Houston protest had moved around various parts of the city, but its main encampment has been in Tranquility Park. The movement, unlike some of its counterparts in other cities, has been primarily peaceful and noted for its cooperation with law enforcement authorities.
As winter arrived, the number of people dwindled to a handful. According to the movement's website, the last scheduled protest took place Feb. 4, protesting against a possible Israeli strike against Iran to destroy that country's nuclear bomb facilities.
Why is the city ordering Occupy Houston to leave now?
A number of groups are scheduled to use Tranquility Park for various events and festivals in the spring. The continued presence of Occupy Houston would have interfered with those events. The city is also going to have to spend some resources cleaning up, resodding some of the park and clearing trash and debris. The cost of doing so is pegged at $13,000. Overtime pay and other expenses incurred by the Houston Police Department directly related to the protests is estimated to be at $350,000.
What does the future hold for Occupy Houston?
The movement will no doubt continue its protests as the warm weather begins. But city officials emphasize Occupy Houston will no longer be permitted to camp out overnight on city property. It will be allowed to exercise its First Amendment rights but will have to go home at the end of the day.
Texas resident Mark Whittington writes about state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network
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