By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock police today asked Occupy Little Rock demonstrators to move their protest from city property in front of the Clinton library to a nearby parking lot but gave them 24 hours to decide whether to comply.

Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas (left) speaks to protesters camped out at a city park near the Clinton presidential library Monday afternoon. (John Lyon photo)

Reactions to the ultimatum from members of the group ranged from defiance to compromise.

The demonstrators, most of whom appear to be in their 20s, have set up several tents and occupied the property continuously since Friday night. Members of the group said about 50 people have taken part, though not at all one time.

Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said at a news conference this afternoon that the protesters were violating city ordinances by camping overnight on city park property without a permit. City park property closes at 10 p.m., he said.

Thomas said that at his request the city had issued a permit for the protest to take place in a parking lot that is owned by the city and normally is used to park city buses. The parking lot is adjacent to a post office parking lot southwest of the Clinton library.

The city has placed a city-owned trash bin and two portable toilets donated by a private company in the parking lot for the protesters. Police are prepared to monitor the lot to ensure the group’s safety, Thomas said.

“In a fundamental sense of fairness, we’ve tried to come up with an alternative that is reasonable, practical, easy to use and, as the crow flies, about 300 yards from where they’re currently encamped,” he said.

Thomas said that if the protesters do not agree to move, “we will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure compliance with the ordinances.”

Thomas said the Clinton library and the Clinton Foundation did not ask that the protesters be moved. Asked if the city wanted to get the protesters out of sight of one of its top tourist attractions, he said that was not part of his consideration.

“My consideration is, I’ve got an ordinance I’ve got to enforce. I don’t have the prerogative of ignoring it and saying, ‘Oh well,’” he said.

After the news conference, the chief went to the site, gave the protesters the permit and asked them to move. The protesters asked for 48 hours to make a decision, and as a compromise Thomas agreed to give them until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Some protesters said they were not camping, but exercising their First Amendment right of free speech.

“Any time that the police abridge the rights of the people to publicly assemble for a redress of grievances on any public land that has been slated for public use, I believe that is a tyrannical action,” said J.T. Scott of Conway.

Adam Lansky of Little Rock said the group has consulted with a lawyer but has not decided whether to file a lawsuit.

Katie VanDruff of Cabot said she appreciated the willingness of the police to work with the demonstrators.

“I’ve seen places like Boston and Dallas where cops just came in and just raided the entire camp. They did not have a meeting with the chief of police to talk things out and compromise,” she said.

Dustin Kurz of Little Rock said the group has asked the city for a permit to hold an open-ended protest and had not received a response, so the offer from the police “could be a win for us.”

Occupy Little Rock’s first public demonstration was a march through downtown Little Rock on Oct. 15. The group is one of many protest groups formed across the country in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York.

The protesters say wealth and power are disproportionately concentrated among the richest 1 percent of Americans.