Occupy Pittsburgh ordered to evict

One final rally ended four months of protest, but Occupy Pittsburgh vowed not to let its… One final rally ended four months of protest, but Occupy Pittsburgh vowed not to let its movement die.

Instead of clearing out of camp by the 11:56 a.m. Monday morning eviction deadline, as ordered by the court, the Occupiers organized their last protest at BNY Mellon’s Downtown park to show the public that they are not giving up.

Samey Lee, a sophomore at Point Park University who spent her nights at the campsite, said the eviction only means losing a gathering place for the family that has formed in the four months at the park.

“We’re only losing a space,” Lee, 19, said. “We will not be finishing.”

On Thursday, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Christine Ward set the Monday deadline for the eviction, giving Occupiers three days to clear out of Mellon Green. Ward stated that, in her opinion, there is no lawful ground that “permits a group of people to take over someone else’s private property as defendants have taken over BNY Mellon’s property here.”

She said the injunction is necessary to prevent “immediate and irreparable harm” that comes with the occupation of the park, especially in the winter months. The preliminary injunction hearing to decide whether or not the Occupiers could remain on the land took place Jan. 10 and 11.

Ron Gruendl, a BNY Mellon spokesman, declined to comment on the eviction of the Occupiers from the bank’s property.

Most of the Occupiers were willing to leave the camp peacefully.

“Only a select few will refuse to go,” said Andrew Weido, an Occupier who showed up to support his friends as they packed up their belongings.

Amidst rumors circulating Monday night that police would forcibly remove any remaining protesters at Mellon Green, no police were on the scene as of 8 p.m.

About 50 people remained at the campsite on Monday night, as a number of tents that have been in place since Oct. 15 still stood in their places.

Weido, 20 and currently unemployed, said most people in the camp were leaving because they could not afford to get arrested at the current juncture in their lives.

The Occupiers remained optimistic despite the eviction. They gathered for a press conference at noon, chanting together, “You cannot evict an idea.”

During the conference, the members of the movement said they considered the 115 days spent at the park a victory and will continue to organize in and occupy other areas in Pittsburgh.

During the final rally and press conference, one Occupier carried a sign that read, “You can remove my tent, but I’ll never lose the sense of home I found here.”

A series of Occupiers spoke to the crowd, led chants, sang songs and told their stories.

“I gave up my apartment and made this place my home,” Helen Gerhardt, 45, said to the crowd. “Home is wherever Occupy is.”

Gerhardt has been with Occupy Pittsburgh since Nov. 1. A Veteran of the Iraq War, Gerhardt said that Occupy Pittsburgh was where she served now, and she urged her fellow Occupiers not to give up.

“We will lose our liberty if we don’t stand up,” Gerhardt said.

Lee thought Occupy Pittsburgh had accomplished its goals. She said the Occupy movement changed the dialogue in the country, raised a nationwide awareness of corruption and greed and made its message heard.

Ward also noted that, in her opinion, Occupy Pittsburgh has greatly benefited from its time at Mellon Green. The Occupiers were able to advance their cause from their occupation of the land, which served as a symbol of the protest. They also received a significant amount of media coverage from their movement.

“They have been able to spread their message — the message of the 99 percent — to people walking past and sometimes entering their encampment,” Ward said in her 21-page opinion.

Lee declined to comment on any specific future plans the Pittsburgh Occupiers might have.

The members cleared out part of the camp over the weekend, getting rid of their mess hall and medical tent.

“The movement is the people,” said Bob Glidden, an Occupier who worked with raising awareness of human rights. “This is just tents, but the movement is so much more than this.”

Glidden, 47, said the movement would continue to grow even without the camp.