Occupy members ponder their next move
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Ryan Kelley, left, of the South Side embraces Laney Trautman from the West End as some tents at the Occupy Pittsburgh camp are dismantled. -
People from the Occupy Pittsburgh movement take down tents at the Mellon Green emcampment. -
A member of the Occupy Pittsburgh movement sits on a bench with her belongings as the encampment on BNY Mellon's property is dismantled.
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By court order, Occupy Pittsburgh must get off BNY Mellon Green by today, but while many of the tents were removed Sunday, it was not clear whether all of the protesters would be gone.
Matt Wheeler, for one, said Sunday he was not taking down his tent. He spoke as people folded up some of the tents that have covered the now muddy park at Grant and Ross streets, Downtown, for four months and placed them into vans.
"Everybody's going to do ... for themselves," said Mr. Wheeler, 29, a Los Angeles native who lives on the South Side.
"I think I'm starting to get the sense that a lot of people are getting excited about making a symbolic, dignified stand," said Bram Reichbaum of the North Side, who has been at the Occupy site off and on.
"My suspicion is some people may want to be led away," he added later.
PG VIDEO"I'm not sure [what will happen]," said David Grubbs, 56, an Edgewood resident and Occupy supporter who has not been camping at the site because of other obligations. "I'm sure some will opt for civil disobedience. Others will be outside showing support."
Some Occupy members said Sunday that support would come in the form of a march at noon today to the City-County Building, Downtown.
Others said a news conference will be held at noon today at the protest site.
Occupy Pittsburgh is one of the offshoots of the Occupy Wall Street movement that have sprung up around the country to protest economic inequality.
Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Christine A. Ward ruled Thursday that Occupy Pittsburgh must leave BNY Mellon's park, where it has been encamped since Oct. 15, saying it was causing the corporation "immediate and irreparable harm." She gave the protesters three days to get out after BNY Mellon filed a $10,000 bond with the court, which was done at 11:55 a.m. Friday.
First Published February 6, 2012 12:00 am
