Occupy to Fall at City Hall?

As cities across the country crack down on the Occupy Wall Street movement, local officials will meet today with Occupiers encamped on the lawn at Pensacola City Hall.

“Today’s meeting?” said Travis Peterson, spokesman for Mayor Ashton Hayward. “I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen.”

The birthplace of the Occupy movement, Zuccotti Park in New York City, was pressure-washed this week after police conducted an overnight sweep to clear protesters from their two-month occupation. Other cities across the U.S. have followed Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s lead.

The U.S. Conference of Mayor’s apparently discussed the Occupy movement during a Nov. 10 conference call. Peterson said he did not know if the Mayor had participated in the call.

“I can tell you there have been discussions between members of the Mayor’s staff and other municipal officials,” Peterson said. “But I doubt the Mayor has talked to any other mayors.”

The Occupy Pensacola encampment has been at City Hall for nearly nearly three weeks, after relocating from Palafox Street as part of an agreement it made with city officials.

Officials have now indicated that the lawn at City Hall constitutes a park, and any activity on it would need a permit from the city.

“That’s probably going to happen,” Peterson said. “I can’t say if the permit would be granted or not.”

Mayor Hayward and city officials will meet with Occupy Pensacola today at 1 p.m. on the fourth floor of City Hall.