Occupy Cincinnati protesters ticketed for camping in park

The Occupy Cincinnati movement is now in its third day and a group of protesters spent the night in a Downtown Cincinnati park, and were issued citations by police.

Organizers say 74 supporters showed up on Sunday night in Cincinnati’s Piatt Park to continue protests that began on Saturday. Organizers picked Piatt park because it was the city’s first public park, and they feel it is a symbol of the people’s place in democracy.

Police issued about 28 citations around 11 p.m. Sunday night for staying in the park past dark-that amounts to a fine of $105 for each protester and a mandatory court appearance on October 20th. The protesters then set up tents and a food and water supply and spent the night sleeping there.

Organizers plan to stay in Piatt Park indefinitely. They met at 6 a.m. to plan their actions for today, Oct. 10.

The Occupy Cincinnati protests are an off-shoot of the demonstrations which began on Wall Street in mid-September. The movement is meant to demonstrate against perceived corporate greed and general social inequality. Protesters say they are fed up with everything from high unemployment to their belief that the vast majority of Americans are paying more taxes while the wealthy and corporations pay less.

The “Occupy” movement has gained momentum in several cities across the country. In Cincinnati, demonstrations formally began on Saturday morning at Lytle Park. Later in the afternoon the group marched to Fountain Square.

About 700 people participated.

Source: Local12 WKRC

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