Cleanup, long-term plans underway at Grand Parade
Posted Nov 7, 2011 04:47:56 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A second day of sweeping, scrubbing and trash collection will take place at the Grand Parade today as Occupy Nova Scotia protesters prepare to vacate the public square – temporarily.
The demonstrators say they will pack up their tents and head for Victoria Park by Tuesday evening in order to make room for Dignity Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies this week.
Group spokesman Brian Crouse tells the Canadian Press the protesters are leaving the Grand Parade in better shape than they found it.
“Both the people living here and the people who have been involved with the movement from the start are coming out in numbers,” he said. “People are sweeping, picking up garbage, polishing any stains that have happened, and the place is looking better than ever.”
The mayor asked the protesters to leave this week, and says they will not be welcome if they return after Remembrance Day – which the group says it plans to do.
Protester Scott Barber says they have the support of the community and will set up their tents again on Nov. 12 despite Mayor Peter Kelly saying he doesn’t want them to return.
“I know that a lot of people, three members of the legislature were hear yesterday, a member of Parliament today, all sorts of folks from the government have been telling us ‘this is a good thing happening,'” he said. “So, he’s going to be upsetting a whole of people in his constituency. I think, right now, the consensus is we’re coming back.”
The occupiers say the return to the Grand Parade includes some survival planning to make it through the winter.
“We just recently invested in the mod tent which will allow us to pack the entire community in there on days that it’s really cold,” occupier Sam told News 95.7. “We’re in the process of discussing, through our general assembly and such, in which manners we’re going to spend our finances to basically winterize our community.”
Part of the plan is to reinforce the existing tents, gather extra blankets and have members sleep in their coats.
“People are in this for the long haul, man,” said occupier Chris Gallant. “They’re making their statement and they’re sticking by it. People will get through it.”
Mayor Peter Kelly says the Grand Parade will be needed for several public ceremonies in the coming weeks, including the Holiday Parade of Lights, the Christmas tree lighting and the New Year’s Eve celebration.
But protesters say they will not relocate for those events.
“We are coming back,” said Dave. “Sure there’s the whole lighting ceremony, New Year’s Eve thing. How important is that compared to Remembrance Day? Not very.”
Kelly has not said what he’ll do if the protesters return to the Grand Parade on Nov. 12.
