City Bans Tents in Parks in Not-So-Subtle Attempt to Curb Occupy L.A. Encampments

http://laist.com/2012/06/06/city_bans_tents_in_parks_in_not-so-.php

In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban tents from city parks, as a not-so-subtle means to prevent groups like Occupy L.A. from setting up camps.

The vote approved clarified wording of a city ordinance that now defines camping to mean: "to erect, maintain or occupy a camp facility for any purpose, including lodging or living accommodation," according to City News Service. Further, a tent under the language of L.A. law is a shelter that is partially closed and "`lacks an unobstructed view into the tent, shelter or structure from the outside.''

Members of the Occupy L.A. movement were on hand at the meeting today to protest the decision on the ordinance, but also pointed to the potential negative impact the ban on tents may have on the homeless population.

"The people that truly don't have homes, that's what this is really directed about,'' said Occupy L.A. activist Ryan Rice.

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It is odd that after the city made so much noise about how much the lawn would cost to replace, that they decided to re-install a non-native species requiring far more watering and care than a native succulent species, for example. If you've seen the "lawn" directly across the street at the City Hall South building, you'll note that even without protesters, it simply dies despite any attempt to care for it.