CHARLOTE, N.C.,None — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have arrived at old City Hall in uptown about 7:10 a.m. and have ordered protesters to remove their tents.
Channel 9 reporter Andrew Doud is at the scene and said that police have told protestors that they need to remove their tents immediately, but the protesters can stay. The protesters have been given until 2:30 p.m. to remove their tents.
Doud said the order has come from the city manager in light of the new protest ordinance passed on Sunday.
The rule to keep campers off city property began at Midnight, but some protesters still spent the night.
They told Channel 9 they intend to comply with the law and not sleep on the property.
But, they insist their tents should be allowed to stay if they are not being used for shelter or camping.
"Any temporary shelter located on city property is deemed to be a public nuisance," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Capt. Jeff Estes.
Sunday, CMPD addressed a group of about 30 protestor’s hours before the ordinance went into effect.
While police do not expect any major issues or confrontations with protestors, Occupy Charlotte expressed some frustration at not being told whether all tents would be banned, or only certain kinds of tents which are being used for shelter.
Protestor Scottie Wingfield, told Channel 9 that attorneys, along with city officials, have relayed to Occupy Charlotte that tents not equipped with "living accommodations" would not be considered camping tents.
"So, if no one is sleeping or storing personal belongings in the tents, they should still be allowed," said Wingfield.
Wingfield told Eyewitness News Occupy Charlotte's goal, at this point, is to, "just keep (the tents) here as a symbol, as they have been all across the country of the Occupy movement."
CMPD would not specify how it would be enforcing the ordinance, in terms of which tents would be allowed.
"When it comes to actually enforcing the ordinance itself, determinations will have to be made at that time," Estes said. "We anticipate full voluntary compliance."
Occupy Charlotte members said their compliance all depends on how police interpret the ordinance and whether they'll be allowed to keep tents not being used for shelter.
Although police and the protestors both reiterated that they were hopeful there would not be any clashes, Wingfield warned that if need be, "There are people who have decided they are willing to risk arrest and perform non-violent disobedience."