Occupy Little Rock occupies Clinton Library grounds 1 of 3



Gabe Gentry

Members of the Occupy Little Rock group have set up camp outside the Clinton Library, video contributor Gabe Gentry reports. Around 65 are gathered currently with chimineas and grills and pizzas. Thirty plan to camp and remain indefinitely, Gentry said, though a police cruiser had just arrived on the scene to idle 30 yards from the protesters around 8:15 p.m.

I’m going to go take a look as soon as I’m able. More when I’ve got it.

UPDATE: It looks like the police aren’t going to try to disperse the crowd. The protesters have a chiminea going now that they lit only after first getting permission from one of the police officers on the scene.


UPDATE II: Gentry, with Mindful Media Productions, sends along this video from last night.


UPDATE III — In response to a question: The grounds and parking lot are all part of the 30 acres owned by Little Rock on which the Clinton Presidential Center sits. A Clinton Foundation spokesman said it would not be commenting because it’s essentially a political matter. I’ve sent a note to City Hall about the city’s outlook on a long-term encampment, but haven’t gotten a response yet. 1st Amendment assemblies put the group in a different category than transient campers (though if the transients though to assert that they were making a political statement by their sleepouts, they, too, would have some protection. Same with city’s curfew ordiinance. A smart-tbinking youth can assert he or she is making a political statement by staying out late and defeat an arrest.)