Another view of the AT-AT of gingerbread at the Discovery Science Museum... (via Neatorama) ]]> http://boingboing.net/2011/11/30/gingerbread-at-at.html/feed 11 http://boingboing.net/2011/10/27/orange-county-city-council-unanimous-occupy-tents-are-a-form-of-speech.html http://boingboing.net/2011/10/27/orange-county-city-council-unanimous-occupy-tents-are-a-form-of-speech.html#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:22:46 +0000 Cory Doctorow http://boingboing.net/?p=126328 A five-hour Irvine, Orange County, CA city council meeting ended with the council unanimously agreeing that the Occupy tents on the town hall's lawn were a form of free speech and vowing to "add the needs of 'The 99%' to their official agenda." Afterwards, the mayor asked the protesters if they needed any more blankets.

The council members each spoke in turn to the civility, articulateness and peaceful process represented by the Irvine Occupation at contrast with the several other Occupational Villages in California, which were, at that very moment being tear-gassed. The general sentiment being: 'This is quite clearly the model. And the occupation most in tune with city needs.'

One councilman stated clearly, 'I disagree with most of what you're saying. But you've clearly shown that this is an issue of free speech. So if you need to sleep on our lawn, by all means, sleep on our lawn.'

Shortly after, a motion was brought to the council to grant license to the occupiers to occupy the public space overnight citing the unusual form of the movement. (Another first in council history.)

TEARS STREAM AS CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY AGREES ‘OCCUPY TENTS ARE A FORM OF SPEECH’ (via Beth Pratt) ]]> http://boingboing.net/2011/10/27/orange-county-city-council-unanimous-occupy-tents-are-a-form-of-speech.html/feed 45