OP release on arrests

Pensacola, Fla. Dec 17, 2011 – Two people from Occupy Pensacola were arrested last night for standing on a walkway that runs through the City Hall green space.  Dr. Melody Castro and Rev. David Burden were walking through the City Hall green space when Pensacola City Police arrested them for trespassing.

“I’ve walked across that area at that time of night a hundred times,” said Burden, “I feed homeless people; I have to check on them once in a while, it’s what I do.”

Burden works as an operations director for a non-profit disaster relief organization.

The plain clothed city police officer that arrested Castro and Burden refused to provide his name and badge number when the two were placed in custody. When attempting to leave the space, they were threatened with resisting arrest.

“The mayor cannot supersede a federal court judge,” said Castro, “We were given 24 hour access to City Hall property under the condition that we did not erect tents.”

An accurate definition of what constitutes a sidewalk on or around the city hall property is yet to be clarified by the City or the Federal Court.