The future of Occupy Boston's stronghold in Dewey Square, which began nearly two months ago, remains unclear as the Dec. 1 end of a court−ordered stay approaches quickly.
The stay, ordered by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frances McIntyre on Nov. 16, prohibits city officials from removing protesters in Dewey Square without a court hearing until the established Dec. 1 date.
To date, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has made no plans to remove protesters from the premises after the first of the month.
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the nonprofit group overseeing the space where the Dewey Square encampment sits, has begun to press for the eviction of Occupy protesters.
In a Nov. 8 letter addressed to the mayor, Georgia Murray, chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the Conservancy, listed a series of grievances against protesters and asked that city officials take action to remove them.
"We believe that the current use by Occupy Boston is not compatible with our obligation to ensure that everyone may enjoy the Greenway, and with the spirit and letter of the rules governing use of the space," Murray stated.
The letter argued that the encampment has taken over the entire park, preventing general public enjoyment of the area. It also cites noise, incidents of drug sales and deteriorating sanitary conditions and interference with scheduled events as problems caused by the Occupiers.
Conservancy spokesperson Lisa Quackenbush said the Conservancy is unable to comment on the current situation given litigation with Occupy protesters.
The Boston Police Department (BPD) has seen some evidence of the Conservancy's cited grievances, BPD Spokesperson Officer Eddy Chrispin explained, including incidents of domestic violence as well as clothing and drug sales within the encampment. He considers the incidents understandable given the number of people in the encampment.
"We've made some arrests, none of late," Chrispin told the Daily. "There's a number of issues we have to attend to on a regular basis [at Dewey Square], but more along the lines of daily incidents you'd have to attend to when you have large groups of people living with each other."
Junior Rachel Greenspan, a member of the Occupy movement, views these problems as no more pervasive in the Greenway than in any other place in the city.
"I don't think you can say that Occupy Boston has an issue with these things; these are things that are a problem with society as a whole," Greenspan said. "I don't think they're any more pressing in Occupy Boston than in any other group of Americans brought together."
Protesters have begun planning for the possibility of eviction after the court−ordered stay expires but hope to maintain their site at Dewey Square.
"I know that if it's evicted, I will be staying there; I'm hoping other people will as well," Greenspan said of the possible removal. "In our First Amendment rights, I agree to our right to peacefully assemble, and I think that those are rights that are fundamental to a working democracy, so that's something I'd be willing to put myself in a risky position in defense of."
If forced to move, Greenspan said that Occupiers would continue with the movement despite a lack of a fixed encampment site.
"I'm hoping to keep the physical presence, but if we're not able to do that because we're forcibly evicted, in no way does that mean that's the end of Occupy Boston," Greenspan said. "One of the best parts about the Occupy movement is that everything happens organically, so I can't really say what that next phase would entail yet, but I wouldn't say that it would be a weaker phase."
