Democratic Host Committee securing Charlotte parks for convention week

[G_j]

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Democratic-Host-Committee-Securing-Charlotte-Parks-for-Convention-Week-137063333.html

by RAD BERKY / NewsChannel 36 Staff
Bio | Email| Follow: @RadBerkywcnc
WCNC.com
Posted on January 10, 2012 at 11:47 PM

Democratic Host Committee securing Charlotte parks for convention week

Updated Wednesday, Jan 11 at 2:10 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NewsChannel 36 has learned that the Democratic Convention Host Committee is lining up a number of city parks for the week of the convention in September.

The Host Committee has already secured the right of first refusal to use almost all the city's parks, according to a spokesperson, and that could mean limited access or no access for the public during the convention.

"I'm about freedom and liberty," said James Bailey at the Occupy Charlotte encampment at the old city hall.

<snip>

The Host Committee spokesperson also pointed out that arrangements were started to reserve the parks during the time the city was bidding to win the convention and that was long before the Occupy Charlotte camp was established.

[blm]

1. Actually, the parks were part of deal to bring DNC to Charlotte many months BEFORE Occupy Movement

so, as much as I support Occupy, it would be wrong for them to claim this is a new deal aimed at them.

[G_j]

2. updated

post to include this. thanks

though it's not clear if OWS posed a potential future problem at the time, even though there was no camp in Charlotte.

[blm]

3. Actually, it IS clear - Charlotte was chosen in Jan 2011. OWS didn't begin till 7 months later.

.