City leaders hope to make agreement with 'Occupy I.C.' protesters this week

CEDAR RAPIDS - Occupy Iowa City protesters have resided at College Green Park, from morning to night, among what seems to have become a small village since the evening of October 7.

Now, after 11 days, Iowa City Manager Tom Markus says that officials are currently working with the protesters to determine just how long they can stay.

“We have gone out to the park to talk with them,” Markus said. “They have been cooperative.”

The Occupy Iowa City group took residence in the park under an exclusion of spontaneous events in Iowa City code section 10, which states that:

"Spontaneous events responding to news or affairs coming into public knowledge within three (3) days of such public assembly or parade provided that the organizer thereof gives written notice to the city manager or designee at least one hour prior to such parade or public assembly."

Markus says that the group may no longer fit under that exclusion because of the amount of time that has passed since they began to occupy the park.

“The protest is no longer as spontaneous as when it started,” Markus said.

According to Markus, the main financial costs to the city have been associated with paying for city leaders' time to meet with the protesters.

“Overall, there haven't been any major issues with the protest,” Markus said. “The protesters moved tents so they aren't ruining grass and are policing the area themselves.”

The city of Iowa City hopes to come to an agreement with the protesters about how long they can stay, and where, by the end of this week.