Occupy Portland - Sleeping or camping outside

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What occupation participants should take

(as announced at 10/4/11 GA)

• A messkit: bowl, mug, utensils for washing in sanitation stations)
• Lots of water
• Snack food
• Sleeping bag
• Tarps: one to put on the ground, one to put on top of you to keep dry your sleeping bag
• Duct tape: to tape together the tarps
• Permanent marker: to write National Lawyers Guild attorney phone number on your arm. This will be the person to contact for any potential arrests.
• Bag to contain your own trash.

Regarding overnight sleeping

In the City of Portland:

• You have the right to sleep in a sleeping bag (NLG researched this), but not on public property such as grassy areas, according to Portland City Code 14A.50.020 (B). Tent camping is equally illegal, and can be punished by a fine of up to $100 or 30 nights in jail. Sean, a worker at the Portland Rescue Mission, said in an interview Oct. 5 that police routinely ticket people sleeping on the grass in Waterfront Park.
• You cannot set up shelter through a "structure."

"What constitutes a 'structure' has been identified as tents, canopies, or anything that looks like it is a habitation. We are planning for pup-tents and tarps to shelter people from the rain at this point. We are collecting tarps and mylar blankets to create shelters and rain guards for sleeping areas. We are also collecting twine, bungee cords, duct tape and any other devices that could hold things together as shelters." (see discussion http://occupyportland.org/organise-and-discuss/?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=193)

• It's legal to camp on sidewalks as long as you're eight feet away from the building, according to Portland City Code 14A.50.030 (E). (For sidewalks less than 10 feet wide, the figure is six feet.) City code requires room for two wheelchairs to roll between you and the adjacent frontage. Violations are punishable by a fine of up to $250.