Posted on 10/22/2011 2:53:22 AM PDT by personalaccts
Occupy Charlotte founder resists efforts to oust him Group's attorney says Tom Shope misused funds; he calls claims 'rhetoric and lies.' By Doug Miller dmiller@charlotteobserver.com By Doug Miller The Charlotte Observer Posted: Friday, Oct. 21, 2011
Tom Shope says his opponents have tried to hack into his Facebook accounts, a major source of organization. Ortega Gaines - ogaines@charlotteobserver.com
The lack of portable bathrooms has gained attention. Officials say they're not required to allow facilities on city property for demonstrations. Campers use those in transit and businesses. Photos by Jeff willhelm - jwillhelm@charlotteobserver.com
A battle for control over Occupy Charlotte has divided the group's founder and new members camping out on the grounds of Old City Hall.
Attorney Ken Davies this week sent a letter to founder Tom Shope informing him that the group expelled Shope for "untrustworthy" conduct. The letter accuses Shope of having opened a secret bank account and depositing contributions into it.
Davies asked Shope not to return and to hand over donations collected on behalf of Occupy Charlotte.
Shope, 47, a Charlotte gem cutter, said Friday he has done nothing wrong and that he won't quit. He accused a small group of about eight young people at the camp of being too radical and spreading "rhetoric and lies."
The conflict reflects the movement's struggle to remain inclusive and without a leader one month into the local offshoot of Occupy Wall Street, the protest that has spread across the country.
It also highlights the role of social media and the Web in the modern era of protests.
In expelling Shope, Occupy Charlotte asked him to relinquish his popular Facebook page and website, the group's main outlets of communication.
Shope refuses to do so. He also believes his opponents have tried to hack into his accounts. "They say, 'We believe whoever owns the 5,000-person Facebook should turn it over to us,' " Shope says. "That's a big focus with the young high school kids."
The squabble follows escalating tensions surrounding the group. The lack of portable bathrooms has gained attention in recent days. City officials say they're not required to allow restroom facilities on city property for demonstrations.
Campers use facilities at the transit center, government offices or nearby private businesses.
Others have questioned whether the city should allow protesters to stay on the property. Former Mayor Pat McCrory questioned what will happen when large crowds descend on Charlotte for next year's Democratic National Convention.
Davies said he is working on behalf of the group at no charge. He said friends asked him to get involved because they felt Shope was taking charge in violation of the group's principles of collective decision-making.
Davies said he shares many views of the group, which believes the economy is rigged to benefit the wealthy and corporations while ordinary citizens struggle. "I think lawyers should get involved if they think they can help make the world a better place," Davies said. "I think the two-party system isn't working. The government is dysfunctional."
Shope says he is fighting back so he can regain control and keep pushing the group's message. Technically, Shope owns Occupy Charlotte. He registered the name as a business at the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds earlier this month. Shope said he did so with the intent of maintaining control and to one day create a nonprofit of that title.
He said the hundreds of Charlotteans who turn out for weekend marches are the true membership of Occupy Charlotte, not the campers.
"I'm not trying to be a leader. It's stewardship," Shope said. "These kids have had their run and their say long enough."
Copyright 2011 The Charlotte Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
We will soon see the rise of Occupy Occupy, and there will be outrage when Occ-Occupiers move into the Occupy tent cities. “This is a blatant attack on our civil rights,” the Occupiers will say when the Occ-Occupiers start camping out in the spaces between the Occupiers’s tents, holding signs reading “We are the 98%.”
And these morons think they can invent a new and perfect world-order?
My cats could do a better job.
You do realize that cats have this diabolical plan for world domination, do you not?
Just ask any Viking Kitty...
It’s that spreading of “rhetoric” you’ve got to avoid. To date there is no known cure.
I love it! They’re protesting against people who dare to earn money, and now they’re fighting with each other over who gets the money which they say nobody has a right to.
Yes, it is funny that they are fighting over money. I especially like the line: “I think lawyers should get involved if they think they can help make the world a better place,” Davies said.
The irony is strong in this one.
occupy on occupy crime
All Occupiers are equal, but some Occupiers are more equal than others.
You do realize that cats have this diabolical plan for world domination, do you not?They'll never succeed. Halfway to taking over the world, they'll find a patch of sunlight and take a nap...
Just ask any Viking Kitty...
Damn, you’ve seen through our cunning plan...
The irony is breathtaking. Lord of the flies or Animal Farm? I see elements of both.
Shhhhh. Keep it down. If the cats know we’re on to them we’re screwed.
I don’t understand. He was holding the conch.
Interesting. The French Revolution was led almost exclusively by lawyers and judges, all of whom claimed they were working to "make the world a better place."
Citizen Shope: Urgent and heartfelt up-twinkles on your current struggle. Down-twinkles to the counter-revolutionary rhetoric mongers. Hold fast to the consensus of the people as represented in the democratic microcosm that is Facebook. Be the time. Be strong in the knowledge that the future will soon be now and then slightly less soon, past.
If they'd looked up and seen the world laid out in front of them like a bright, shiny, heavily waxed, slick for sliding hardwood hallway, why they'd still be there running up and down trying to catch the bugs.
And many of the instigators of the revolution were ultimately its victims. Irony abounds amongst these revolutionaries. Once you let the tiger out of its cage, you don’t know who will become its lunch.
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