Occupiers protest raid at town council meeting, call for third-party review of police procedures

Protesters at the Chapel Hill Town Council meeting Monday wanted their voices heard, whether the council wanted to hear them or not.

Carrying signs, using hand signals and cheering or booing, Occupy Chapel Hill participants were opposing the Nov. 13 police raid at the former Yates Motor Company building.

The council addressed resident Jim Neal’s petition to create a third-party committee that would review police procedures leading up to the decision to send an anti-riot squad to break up those occupying the abandoned building.

Neal said he represented residents who were concerned and confused by the town’s response in the aftermath of the raid.

“I listened to the press conference and was completely unsatisfied with the responses provided from the Chapel Hill Police Department and also the mayor in regards to the incident,” he said.

Neal said he wants the committee to determine why the police department responded in a way he felt was disproportionate to the threat.

“I absolutely could not believe that in Chapel Hill, of all places in the U.S. or around the planet, that I’d ever witness something like this,” he said.

Residents who were not protesters also expressed concern about the police reaction.

Bert Gurganus, who spoke at the meeting, said the methods used to evict protesters were bad policing and town policy.

“I find this to be deplorable and un-American,” he said.

But other residents said they could see the reasoning behind the town’s reaction.

Geoff Gilson, a worker-advocate at Weaver Street Market, said he doesn’t believe the police department acted inappropriately.

“They went in and obviously went in with great care and caution because no one was significantly hurt,” he said.

Gilson agreed that an impartial committee should still be formed to review the actions of the police department.

Some town council members sympathized with the petition, saying the town needed to regain the residents’ trust.

“I hope you folks can see there is a way to be supportive of both the town manager, our police department and the third-party assessment,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward said.

The council referred the petition for further consideration.

The council also voted down a proposal by council member Laurin Easthom to issue a formal apology for the arrest of journalists Katelyn Ferral and Josh Davis.

The vote was received with chanting from protesters that resulted in the council taking a five-minute recess before moving to other agenda items.

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