Freedom Plaza protest permited through Dec. 30

Published October 12, 2011 4:00am ET



The National Park Service issued a statement saying the new end date on the permit offered to the anti-war and anti-corporate greed demonstrators at Freedom Plaza is Dec. 30, which extends their initial, four-day permit by roughly 2 1/2 months.

From the Park Service:

The amendment allows the October 6th Coalition to use Freedom Plaza through December 30th at 10:00 p.m., excluding dates for which permits have been issued or are pending for that location. The NPS has offered the Coalition alternate demonstration locations for those dates. The NPS has contacted all groups and organizations who have finalized permits as well as those groups or organizations with permit applications pending for use of Freedom Plaza.

The demonstrators kicked off their occupation of Freedom Plaza with a march last Thursday to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Their initial permit expired at 2 p.m. Monday. Protest organizers came out of a meeting with U.S. Park Police officers late Monday afternoon saying they had been offered a four-month extension.

Crowds from the group have protested at different sites in the city this week. On Tuesday, six people were arrested when a large group filled the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill and unfurled signs.

Organizers issued a news release Wednesday saying they planned to confront bankers attending a health care conference at the Metro Center Marriott Hotel.