Mayor Tom Potter has issued a statement regarding the homeless protest outside City Hall. Starting today, Saturday May 10th, Portland Police have been instructed to enforce standard Protest Guidelines. This essentially means the homeless campers will need to abide by the same standards the City of Portland expects of all citizenry protests. As of today the campers will no longer be allowed to have sleeping bags or other belongings on the sidewalk. They can carry signs but cannot have signs, tarps, or banners leaning on or fixed to property. They need to remain in motion so can no longer sit or lie on the sidewalk. They also need to remain within a certain distance from the protest site to be considered part of the protest. Mayor Tom Potter has also decided to close the City Hall bathroom after regular business hours while the protest continues. Mayor Potter identified unsanitary use of the facility as his reason for the bathroom closure. Enforcement of Protest Guidelines at City Hall presumably implies that police will maintain a presence in the area and monitor the protest more closely. Police are also expected to post signs at City Hall this weekend stating that on Tuesday May 13th they will begin sweeping the area. The City has cited growing numbers of homeless protesters and increasing complaints of drug use in the area as the primary reason they will be taking action swifter than initially expected. Yellow Brick Road outreach workers will spread this information on the streets starting this evening in an effort to minimize rumors and misinformation.
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