City | 8:07 pm | March 11, 2012 | By Diana Li

Occupy New Haven preps for showdown

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Photo by Selen Uman.

New Haven’s Occupiers stuck out the snow, but pressure from City Hall may spell the end of Occupy New Haven.

The city released a proposal earlier this week asking Occupy New Haven members to remove their structures and leave the New Haven Green by mid-March, the New Haven Register reported. The Green is intended for public use and is not meant for permanent use by any group, City Hall spokeswoman Elizabeth Benton said. But members of Occupy New Haven say they won’t budge.

“We, the activists of Occupy New Haven, refuse to vacate the Upper Green or dismantle the camp,” reads a press release posted to Occupy New Haven’s website on Saturday. “Our presence is not a camping trip. Being in solidarity with the global Occupy movement, our presence is a visual testament to the growing class inequality present in our city, nation and world.”

This week marks five months on the Green for Occupy New Haven, which first set up camp in October. Under City Hall’s proposal, the Occupiers could still reassemble on the Green in the future, but they would have to apply for permits and stay for periods shorter than a week.

A resolution might not come anytime soon — Occupy New Haven attorney Irving Pinsky says the protestors’ eviction could drag on for years due to court processes. In the meantime, Occupy will formally respond to City Hall’s proposal in a Monday press conference.

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