The action began with a practice round of mic check on the Plaza outside and then occupiers each grabbed a sign and headed up to the 24th floor meeting room. The public meeting is held inside a large glass-walled room, where about 100 people sit in the room, and dozens more mill around outside, watching the proceedings on TV screens. Some signs were held against the glass, while several more went inside, with slogans reading, “Shelter is a human right,” “The first amendment is 24/7,” and “The 99% will not be silenced.”

Heads turned when an occupier named Divine stood up and shouted, “Mic check!”

Other occupiers repeated after him, as he shouted, “Stop the violation of our constitutional rights! End the harassment, intimidation and attacks on Occupy! Return all our bedding and tents! Revoke all trespasses! Allow shelter for Occupy's assembly!” Divine was removed by two large security guards, but other occupiers picked up where he left off.

These occupiers were also removed, repeating, “Stop the attacks on Occupy!” as all were escorted out of the building.

Sarah Martin explained why the commissioners were targeted by protesters, “The county has tried everything to take the Plaza from us – seizing our tents, tarps and blankets, banning dozens of individual occupiers with trespass notices and a constant campaign of harassment and threats. They raided the Plaza last week, but still, we're not going away.”

#MinneapolisMN #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #HennepinCountyCommissioners #OccupyMinneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – About 400 people rallied at People’s Plaza and marched through downtown Minneapolis on November 14 in defense of OccupyMN. After the march they returned to the plaza and filled it with blankets and sleeping bags for a mass ‘sleep-in’ in defiance of Hennepin County’s new rules banning sleeping in the plaza. As of 10:00 p.m. the County authorities have not moved to clear the plaza.

The new rules which go into effect today were passed at the County Commissioners’ meeting last Tuesday in response to OccupyMN’s occupation of Hennepin County Government Plaza since October 7, which the protesters renamed “People’s Plaza”.

The new restrictions include the ban on sleeping in the plaza, no hanging or posting of signs on the plaza, and no porta-potties on the plaza except at the discretion of the County Administrator. The porta-potties which had been there since October 7 are no longer there. The commissioners passed the new restrictions unanimously.

According to Deb Konechne of the Minnesota People’s Bailout Coalition, who co-emceed today’s rally, “The new rules are an eviction notice, and people won’t accept them. Tonight we can see that more people are occupying the plaza to speak out against corporate greed and injustice, regardless of whatever new restrictions on freedom of assembly Sheriff Stanek may have gotten the commissioners to pass.”

The rally featured many speakers vowing to defend people’s right to continue the occupation of People’s Plaza. Union leaders that spoke included Cliff Poehler of AFSCME Council 5, Javier Morillo of SEIU Local 26, Michelle Sommers of ATU Local 1005, Donnie McMillan of Carpenters Local 322 and Kieran Knutson of the IWW. Some of the people who have been sleeping out at the plaza since the beginning spoke about the need to continue the movement. Several individuals and organizations from the community vowed to defend the occupation including Darryl Robinson of Communities United Against Police Brutality, community activist Mel Reeves, Polly Kellogg of Women Against Military Madness, Linden Gawboy of the Welfare Rights Committee, Jennie Eisert of the Anti-War Committee, among others.

#MinneapolisMN #MinneaoplisMN #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #SheriffStanek #HennepinCountyCommissioners