Three arrests made Tuesday at Lee Park prompted the Occupy Charlottesville protesters residing there to issue an official statement clarifying their ideology to the public.
Tuesday's arrests encouraged "people at the Lee Park occupation ... to clear out some things about the dynamics at play here," according to a statement released by Occupy Charlottesville.
The statement highlighted an incident involving the arrest of three male individuals not affiliated with the movement, and said because the movement "is supposed to be open to all," it will inevitably endure the stresses of individuals "bringing their habits to this public space, among them drinking and smoking."
Charlottesville Police Lt. Ronnie Roberts said the three men arrested provided alcohol to two female minors, and were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. One of the men was also charged with trespassing as he previously had been banned from the park, while another was charged with public intoxication and possession of marijuana.
Roberts said "the two teens were transported to the University Medical Center," then later charged with underage possession of alcohol and released to their parents.
Through the police's subsequent investigation, Roberts said they learned the individuals involved were not associated with the protests. "The folks there at Occupy Charlottesville have been very cooperative with the police in these matters," he said. "It's a good working relationship between the protesters and the police."
Occupy Charlottesville organizer Zac Fabian said though incidents are inevitable, the movement has worked to ensure Lee Park is a safe space for everyone involved.
"There's no way we can prevent things like this from happening, but each person has the individual responsibility to follow the law," he said. "And we set our own values and rules for the park. We encourage it to be a sober space."
The statement said alcohol abuse and other social issues are underlying social concerns. These incidents should be seen as a "chance to reassert our collective goal to work among ourselves to face the problems we've grown up with all our lives," the statement says.
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