Tuesday, October 18, 2011

For protesters, no bathrooms to occupy

If you’re a protester, where do you go to the bathroom, in lieu of a loo?

It may be a tempest in a teapot over toilets, but the few dozen Occupy Charlotte protesters camped out at the old City Hall uptown don’t seem to have a place to go. They want portable toilets set up, but so far the city says no-go.

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx says he has received a number of emails and calls about the issue. In a prepared statement, Foxx says: “I am advised that the placement of semi-permanent structures on City grounds is prohibited. … I am asking for more information to ensure that the code is being applied to your group in a manner consistent with all other groups.”

Mecklenburg commissioners chair Jennifer Roberts is seeing what she can do. She tweeted saying she would look into it and said “we should be fair, support health if possible” but acknowledged that the site is under city, not county control.

Captain J.W. Estes of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, told the Observer editorial board that Occupy Charlotte isn’t being singled out; police are applying the same rules they do for all protest groups, and have no plans to add portable toilets to the property.

We understand the protesters need to go, but hey, no one said occupying is easy.

Taylor Batten

8 comments:

Wiley Coyote said...

Since when has City/County jusrisdiction been an issue?

Mayor Fixxt runs his mouth about CMS, donates city money to the library, etc.

These "99-ers" should do the capitalist, free market thing and go buy a case of dependes, since it is THEY who decided to do this.

Anonymous said...

I thought they were use to that sort of lifestyle anyways ... aren't they mostly homeless college hippies anyway? Or hippies who never grew up and are upset they never became successful.

Karl said...

Can't they just find a handy police car to go on?

jholmes44194419 said...

Here's a tip:

Pool your money and go rent a porta-potty. Don't sit around and DEMAND that someone else go out and pool their money, and rent you a porta-potty.

Oh, wait, I forgot.....that's why you guys are there in the first place!

WashuOtaku said...

jholmes44194419, I believe you missed the part saying they been trying to get permission to install porta-pottys; this suggests they are renting them, but have no place to put'em.

msgcraig said...

WashuOtaku- I believe you missed the part stating that the protestors want porta-jons set up. It's the last line of the second paragraph. No where in that article does it imply that the protestors intend to actually rent the bathrooms.

Larry said...

I am glad the Observer is keeping up with all aspects of this movement.

Kelly said...

The money has been spent to rent the porta-johns. The city is just not allowing them to be set up.