LINCOLN — If they are still there when Centennial Mall renovations begin next summer, 20 to 30 Occupy Lincoln protesters likely will be asked to dismantle their campsite, Lincoln officials said this week.
The protesters set up about two dozen tents on the mall in October. Although some people have complained about the campsite, city officials say it breaks no existing law.
Although Centennial Mall is managed by Lincoln's Parks and Recreation Department, it is considered public right of way, not a park where curfews and other regulations governing overnight stays could be imposed.
Lynn Johnson, city parks and recreation director, said the City Council probably will be asked to formally designate the area as a city park sometime next year. He said Occupy Lincoln tents probably will need to be moved next summer to make room for a staging area for construction equipment and supplies.
The tents are pitched on grassy areas established after the mall's fountains fell into disrepair and their basins were filled in. Otherwise, city regulations would prohibit tents from obstructing sidewalks and walkways, said Assistant Police Chief Brian Jackson.
Jackson said the protesters have been cooperative with police and have done nothing to trigger their removal.
"They are exercising their First Amendment rights," he said. "They can continue to do so until such time as the public space is needed for other purposes."
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