Dayton Business Journal...
Montgomery County’s new rules to limit Occupy protest
by DBJ Staff
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 

New rules approved Tuesday by the Montgomery County Commission will limit the use of Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton by protesters who are part of the Occupy Wall Street movement, potentially setting up a showdown with protestors. 

The county issued a statement saying the changes are designed as a “balance between First Amendment rights” and the “integrity of adjacent commercial establishments and the downtown neighborhood.” 

The county also said the changes to the Courthouse Square Rules and Regulations are consistent with the county’s parks policies and include: 

- No sleeping, camping or use of Courthouse Square for lodging. 

- Courthouse Square will be made available for permitted, organized activities and events daily from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. 

“Courthouse Square has a long tradition of serving as a space for community events and public expression, however, it was not designed or intended to be utilized as a campground,” the county said in a statement. 

Note: Click here for a slideshow of protesters from a recent Occupy Dayton rally. 

The square has been used by Occupy Dayton protesters on and off for about two months for protests aimed at generating attention to what they describe as Corporate Greed on Wall Street and the influence of wealthy corporations and people on the government. 

The group moved its main camp from the square to an area a few blocks south on a temporary basis prior to the holiday festival in the square during the Thanksgiving week. While the group has not moved back into the square, the new rules would prevent them from doing so if they decided to move back and could set up a confrontation between protesters and authorities. 

Occupy Dayton is one of many movements across the country formed in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street effort. Since its first Dayton protest Oct. 5, Occupy Dayton has staged a number of peaceful protests calling out what they see as the injustices being committed in the everyday workings of Wall Street. 

Occupy Wall Street kicked off Sept. 17 when a group of activists marched through Manhattan, ending at Zuccotti Park, which they renamed “Liberty Square.” As word spread about the New York City protests, people in thousands of other cities staged similar protests. 

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