SAVE OCCUPY MIAMI
PROTECT OUR FIRST ADMENDMENT RIGHTS

Occupy Miami has two demands that it would like to make at this time from the county of Miami-Dade:

1. We ask that no forcible removal take place from the original protest location outside of the Government Center and that First Amendment rights to freedom of speech be maintained giving the right to the people to peaceable assembly and right to petition the government for a redress of all grievances presented.

2. We ask that the Miami-Dade County honor the terms of its original permit, which indicated no definitive end date which has been supported by our exchanges with current county officials.

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Occupy Miami needs every person it can reach to support our First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly according to the United States Constitution which states:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

In solidarity, please stand with those who are fighting to reform our current political and economic system by signing the petition below.

On Nov. 5, the Miami-Dade county building manager sent a letter to the permit holder of Occupy Miami's ongoing protests at the Government Center. In this letter, it was stated that the construction of surveillance equipment would be taking place in the near future and that this would require the protestors to move from their location. According to the aforementioned letter, the construction would require the usage of a large crane that could only be utilized in place on the west lawn of the Government Center. This area has been the main location of Occupy Miami's ongoing protests that started on Oct. 15, 2011.

The county officials have also indicated that the current permit would expire on Nov. 10, 2011 at 5 PM and that it is necessary to temporarily move the current location to an area north of said place during construction. They have also indicated they would like a filing of a new permit. The proposed new permit had additional stipulations and would require for the movement to re-file it on a weekly basis.

However, this contradicts that which was written on the current permit held. According to the original permit, the county officials signed the end date with a question mark which has indicated that the permit is valid indefinitely. County officials have also stated in the last meeting with them, that the permit would have expired on Oct. 22, 2011 and not on Nov. 10, 2011. According to the letter sent by them which stated that our end date is Nov. 10, 2011 at 5 PM, this becomes clearly incongruent with what was originally stated in a letter regarding the upcoming construction. In a meeting with county officials on Nov. 10, the county officials have also indicated that the permit had expired on Oct. 22 and that they were “allowing us to remain in the area permit-less by their own good grace.”

Regardless, as a testament of our good intent and a certain appreciation for the police officers and officials who have been cordial and understanding, we have temporarily agreed to move the encampment during the aforementioned construction period. However, the county will not reciprocate a promise on their end to state that they will not forcibly evict those peacefully congregating on the second plot of land or that Occupy Miami will even be allowed to re-occupy the original spot previously occupied.

Occupy Miami continues to maintain its original permit is still valid for an indefinite period of time. In less than a week, representatives from Occupy Miami and the county will come together to discuss these issues. We are asking our brothers and sisters from across America and around the globe to pressure local and state governments, demand answers, accountability, and most of all, peace and compromise.

Occupy Miami has two demands that it would like to make at this time from the county of Miami-Dade:

1. We ask that no forcible removal take place from the original protest location outside of the Government Center and that First Amendment rights to freedom of speech be maintained giving the right to the people to peaceable assembly and right to petition the government for a redress of all grievances presented.

2. We ask that the Miami-Dade County honor the terms of its original permit, which indicated no definitive end date which has been supported by our exchanges with current county officials.