Occupy Louisville Seeks Council Support

Protestors with Occupy Louisville are asking members of the Louisville Metro Council to issue a statment of public support for their movement.For a week and a half, dozens have assembled in Jefferson Square Park downtown to join a number of other local protests in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in New York City.  Despite a change in size and location, Louisville activists associated with the fledgling movement have been flocking to the area and are hoping to craft an agenda.Occupy Louisville spokesman Rush Cosgrove addressed the council Thursday and told lawmakers that local protestors have obtained a permit to remain at the park until the end of the year, and are organizing a democratic movement."We will continue to occupy Louisville so that the common voice of the people is heard loudly in these halls, until such time as we are convinced its reverberations will continue indefinitely without our presence," he said.Cosgrove says there haven’t been any clashes with Metro Police and emphasized they are a non-violent movement who are seeking solidarity with city officials. Polls have indicated themovement in lower Manhattan is gaining support with 54 percent of Americans having a favorable impression of the protests.But political observers have criticized activists for lacking a clear direction beyond placards about the growing wealth disparity, corporate greed and economic downturn. Supporters of the movement have pushed back and say the demonstrators are seeking solidarity first before issuing a list of demands.Cosgrove says the local group is also coming to a consensus before issuing any policy recommendations or demands, and the public should be patient with this growing movement."We can see that it is slow and sometimes painful, both for those involved and for those external who seek policy recommendations. We believe that this process is worth the effort as it deflects divisions and puts to the forefront what should be at the heart of all true democracies—the survival and well-being of every member in the group," he says.Democratic Caucus spokesman Tony Hyatt says council members are aware of the demonstrations, but it is too early to know if lawmakers will make any declaration of support.