To continue protest, Occupy Philly must give up tents, agree to limited hours

The city of Philadelphia has released its conditions for the Occupy Philadelphia movement to continue protesting. The new permit would allow protesters to occupy Thomas Paine Plaza from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They could have only one canopy and no tents, which have been the hallmark of the protest in Philadelphia and across the country.

The city of Philadelphia has released its conditions for the Occupy Philadelphia movement to continue protesting.

The new permit would allow protesters to occupy Thomas Paine Plaza from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They could have only one canopy and no tents, which have been the hallmark of the protest in Philadelphia and across the country.

“From day one the occupiers have set the agenda and set the terms on what the occupation means. It’s not up to me, it’s up to the general assembly,” said Gwen Snyder, one of the Occupy Philadelphia members who was in the Monday evening meeting with city officials.

“If they decide that this proposal is a valid form of occupying, that’s up to them,” she said. “If not, we have to discuss other alternatives.”

Deputy Mayor Everitt Gillison said the restrictions are designed to prevent the situation now going on outside City Hall.

“We don’t like the deteriorating conditions,” he said. “We think tenting was part of that, so we aren’t going to allow that. We will respect their First Amendment rights.”

If the protesters don’t accept the conditions sometime after Thanksgiving, they will be given a 48-hour notice of eviction from their current encampment on Dilworth Plaza where a $50 million reconstruction project is imminent.