Press Release Update from 10/28/2011:
For Immediate Release: Update
October 28, 2011
The City of Richmond, VA has yet to correct the unequal application of its laws by allowing the Occupy Richmond group to use the Kanawha Plaza illegally, after forcing the Richmond Tea Party to follow every applicable law and requirement, resulting in thousands of dollars of fees.This afternoon four members of the Richmond Tea Party delivered an invoice to Mayor Jones’s office for approximately $8,500—the total cost incurred for complying with all procedures and policies as specified by the City of Richmond to conduct our rallies at Kanawha Plaza—and a cover letter that explained the following:
“Occupy Richmond has been in Kanawha Plaza for nearly two weeks and, to the best of our knowledge, has acquired no permits, paid no fees, openly broken the applicable laws, and refused to leave the premises. Because the City of Richmond is allowing—and, in some cases, encouraging—this to happen, we have no choice but to conclude that it is not, in fact, a requirement to pay to demonstrate in Kanawha Plaza. And as our nation was founded on the principle of equal and just application of the law for all citizens, we expect the City of Richmond to honor this by refunding Richmond Tea Party all fees paid to the City of Richmond, vendors, and other personnel as required to comply with the procedures and policies as specified by the city.”
Also included with the cover letter and invoice was a form addressed to Mayor Jones requesting that he please list all the laws in the City of Richmond that are optional and then return the list to us in the self-addressed envelope provided so we will have it for future reference.
