Citing the Occupy Seattle protesters' continued defiance of rules in place at Westlake Plaza, Mayor Mike McGinn pulled the group's permit for a supply and medical tent this morning. Protesters were using the tent to cook food with an "operational propane tank" and were operating the tent after 10 pm, when the park is closed.



As of early this afternoon, only a few dozen protesters remained in the park, where organizers were doing a mike check when PubliCola stopped by today—debating whether or not to move to the lawn by the King County Court House. One protester was dead set against the move, lobbying his cohorts to reject the idea because of the drug market there.



McGinn said in a statement :

Consistent with other events, uses of this tent were limited to handing out information, first aid, and prepackaged food. This permit was issued and signed two days ago. Yesterday we warned them that they were violating the terms of the permit. We reissued the permit to be more explicit, and Occupy Seattle accepted the new permit and the new conditions.

Occupy Seattle violated the terms of the permit again last night. The tent was actively used during hours when the park was closed between 10 PM and 6AM, and numerous items not related to the permitted purpose of the tent were stored inside overnight including an operational propane tank. These are violations of the detail provisions as well as the overall intent of the permit.

McGinn spokesman Aaron Pickus says the protesters are welcome to stay in the park if they follow park rules, which means no camping and no hot food preparation. "We will not be reissuing a permit for an informational tent."