The Dane County Parks Department ticketed members of Occupy Madison as well as others who were at the Lake View Hill County Park Sunday night for being at the site after park hours ended, according to a local housing activist.
Tenant Resource Center Executive Director Brenda Konkel said 12 to 14 people were given $159 tickets for remaining in the county park after hours, including two neighborhood residents who were on site supporting the protesters and Konkel.
By county ordinance, it is illegal for someone without a special permit to be in the park after 10 p.m. unless they are a registered camper.
Many individuals who received citations under this ordinance cannot afford to pay the tickets, according to Konkel.
“They’re not going to get paid,” Konkel said. “This isn’t going to solve anything.”
Despite receiving the tickets, Konkel said Occupy Madison members decided to stay in the park until there is a legal alternative where they can go.
Konkel said the county has repeatedly given Occupy Madison members deadlines for moving their encampments in county parks, the most recent of which was 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Dane County Department of Human Services sent a letter to Occupy members Friday asking they move to a different county campground, Token Creek County Park, under a special 90-day permit.
However, Konkel said in a blog post Saturday the proposed park was “unacceptable” due to its distance from members’ work and a lack of safe and convenient transportation.
The Dane County Parks Department and Sheriff’s Office could not be reached for comment Sunday night.
