McPherson Square: Occupy DC show down

Occupy DC ended tonight in a showdown over a temporary hut in McPherson Square.

According to the Washington Post:

The Occupy D.C. campaign, largely peaceful since its launch two months ago, turned confrontational Sunday when police detained 31 protesters during a tense day-long standoff in McPherson Square. It was the first case of mass arrests at the group’s base camp in Washington, and the clash resembled those between police and Occupy protesters in other cities across the country.

Some of the late arrivals had come in from New York.  Back in the day, we here in Virginia would have called them ‘outside agitators.’ 

A big part of today’s scuffle was over the 15 foot high makeshift hut.  The demonstrators wanted it there for shelter against the elements when the weather got colder.  The DC authorities had other ideas.  The hut became a symbolic and psychological point of defense.  I suppose everyone gets up again tomorrow and has the same scuffle over the same hill. 

One of the protesters offered up this explanation to the WaPo:

“Our message today is that the public space in America belongs to the people,” said Rob Wohl, 23, a protester from Arizona who remained inside the shelter hours after Park Police officials ordered the occupants to leave or risk arrest. Denouncing lenders that made profits while foreclosing on homeowners, Wohl said, “Let the world know that the police are arresting people who put up a structure, not who took one away.”

Ok, that makes sense.  However, the flip side of conversation comes from a homeless man named Bear who says he has lived in McPherson Square for over a year:

A 70-year-old man with a bushy gray beard, who gave his name as “Bear,” said he had been living in a tent in McPherson Square for more than a year, but was delighted when the Occupy group moved in around him. “I’m proud and happy to be here today. I’m defending my home, too,” he said.

Do there just seem to be too many issues floating about?  On the one hand, I think the OWS folks have some valid points.  Their methods are a bit…unorthodox.  At the same time, they have mixed in with so many homeless folks that their message is being defined by those who have nothing charitable to say. 

And in the long run, they aren’t hurting me and they have the guts to say some of the stuff that needs to be said, so my take on it all is, live and let live.