City Issues Permit To Occupy Colorado

The City of Colorado Springs on Friday issued a 30-day revocable permit to local Occupy Wall Street protesters.

According to the City, the permit will allow the Occupy Wall Street protesters in Colorado Springs to maintain their current location at Acacia Park while the City continues to assess public safety, health and welfare impacts.

The City thinks it is important to assess whether the protesters are having a negative impact on children and families in the community as the protest location is right next to Uncle Wilber’s Fountain, the city said. It is a high-use area for the entire community, both for recreation and commercial activities for retailers and small businesses, said the city.

The City is not aware of any permit having been issued for this type of activity for any extended amount of time before now, the city said.

To the City’s knowledge, longer term permits have previously only been issued for permanent structures, such as awnings on restaurants, said the city.