Previous Favorable news report; Occupier Charis appears in this video

Occupiers Charis and Walker were forcibly removed from Peoples Park early this morning. Both were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing. The BPD seems determined to enforce the 11pm-6am curfew in the park. Another occupier autonomously released this statement:

It has been 3 years, 3 months and 21 days since the collapse of Lehman Brothers and not a single corporation has been held accountable for the destruction of the U.S. economy. Participants in the Occupation of Peoples Park did hold them accountable, including the action against the criminal corporation JP Morgan Chase (currently under multiple indictments) at Indiana University on November 29, 2011.

Mayor Mark Kruzan’s decision to evict homeless individuals from Peoples Park, and his disgraceful move to silence attempts to hold corporate power accountable will ultimately fail, and expose for all to see why the battle against corporate power must remain independent from political parties.

Kruzan’s claim that Bloomington is “different” crashes on the shores of his own hypocrisy. On December 11, IU students and others staged a violent alcohol-fueled riot with criminal acts and property damage in downtown Bloomington. No arrests were made and Kruzan condoned the criminal actions by his own and BPD’s inaction. His cowardly move to “evict” Occupiers highlights what side “progressive Democratic” administrations are on in the struggle against the 1%. That struggle will continue, and, indeed, will intensify.

The December 11th riot referred to in the statement occurred following the Indiana University men’s basketball team’s win over Kentucky.