Eugene, Or (KMTR) In today's emergency Eugene City Council meeting to address issues at the Occupy Eugene camp, Councilors voted to end the camping waiver they had previously extended until January 11th.
The councilors voted 5 to 2 to have the occupy members removed. Betty Taylor and George Brown voted against ending the park camping exemption.
Occupy Eugene campers have been told to leave Washington/Jefferson Street Park. Eugene Police Chief Pete Kerns expressed that he will work with Occupy Eugene leaders to peacefully remove campers from the park. The time line for campers to leave the park was left at "as soon as practicable".
The vote and emergency meeting comes in reaction to a man ending up in hospital with life threatening injuries after an alleged assault at Occupy Eugene's camp late Monday night.
Around 10:40 p.m. on Monday, December 19th, 2011, Eugene Police responded to the Occupy Eugene camp at Washington Jefferson Park for a call of a dispute. On scene, an EPD officer discovered 54-year old Rick Adam Youngblood unresponsive, not breathing and with life threatening injuries.
McLaughlin says police interviewed several people on scene. As of Tuesday night, EPD says no one is in custody in the case. Youngblood is currently listed in critical condition.
The Occupiers have now begun to move out of the park. Members have removed the covering on the large tee-pee at the center of the campsite, and are starting to take it down. Four large dumpsters have been brought to the park. Police are also there, but so far it appears to be a peaceful collaboration.
The Council also voted to expand Eugene's car camping ordinance unanimously. There are 30 sites around Eugene where homeless can camp in their car for 60 day periods, today’s motion that would allow tents to count as cars in those locations.
The council does say since Occupy Eugene began; the issue of homelessness has been brought to the forefront. They want to apply what they've learned, when they're charged with re-locating protesters.
