It has come to the attention of Occupy Eugene that Councilor George Poling and others are upset about recent actions at Councilor Poling’s home that are perceived to be a part of Occupy Eugene.

The actions at George Poling’s residence were made up of participants of Occupy Eugene who acted on their own free will as part of an affinity group affiliated with the Occupy Eugene Actions committee.

Occupy Eugene does not require consensus from the General Assembly for independent actions, and our members are empowered to act independently as long as their goals and methods align with Occupy Eugene’s principles. Last night’s action was a symbolic expression of protest on the part of the women involved.

“We were individuals engaged in an independent action with open minds and a shared purpose. This action was not discussed with nor consensed upon by Occupy Eugene,” said one participant in last night’s protest action.

Individual participants of Occupy Eugene may either agree or disagree with the content or message of the demonstrations that have occurred at George Poling’s residence. Demonstrating at the residence of a public official is a longstanding tradition in this country and such demonstrations are a time-honored and essential exercise of our constitutional rights.

As a community, we are actively and currently engaged in robust discussion regarding the issues presented before us after these actions. We hope this Occupy Eugene Action can further the discussion centered on the issues of homelessness, community building, and freedom to protest.

This press release is from the Communications Committee of Occupy Eugene that has been empowered to speak on behalf of the larger Occupy Eugene body.