Occupy Kamloops protester arrested
A protester at the Occupy Kamloops site on the North Shore was arrested today (Oct. 30) after a verbal altercation with police.
Kamloops RCMP Staff Sgt. Doug Aird said officers were called to the protester-occupied park on Mackenzie Avenue just before 9:30 a.m. for a reported disturbance.
Aird said one of the protesters, a man in his early 20s, "appeared agitated and angry" when police arrived.
"This same individual, who was part of the occupancy, became confrontational, telling police that they had no right to be within the confines of the park," he said.
According to Aird, police "did not push the issue" after their initial confrontation with the man.
"It appeared all had been defused when the same young male returned and confronted another officer, raising his fists as he spoke to him about his rights and the fact police were not welcome in the park," he said, adding that the protesters friends attempted to calm him down "without success."
The protester was arrested and held "for a short time," Aird said, before being released without charge.
Since Oct. 15, a group of about two dozen protesters has been living in tents in Spirit Park in North Kamloops.
The demonstration is a show of support for the global Occupy movement, which started in the financial district of New York City.
The Occupy movement is protesting what it calls the "one per cent" of people who benefit at the expense of the other 99 per cent.
Critics of the movement have pointed to the fact that many protesters don't appear to have very much information about what they're protesting, or any real plans about what changes can or should be made.
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