Murmurs from people associated with the Occupy Palm Beach movement, which has been encamped in West Palm with the city's blessing since October, tell New Times that the group has been told to leave the site by next weekend.
Though the agreement that the occupiers forged with the parks department allows them access to only one-fourth of the empty lot at Flagler Street and Banyan Boulevard, now they need to clear out to make way for a new occupant.
That occupant, currently said to be in negotiations with the city, is none other than Trapeze Experience.
"We are opening in West Palm Beach, FL on December 17!"
proclaims the Experience's website. The company offers trapeze lessons
and flying sessions for members of the public and apparently needs a
large grassy expanse on which to deploy its swinging equipment.
Tbe
venture is decidedly more capitalistic than Occupy: a two-hour lesson
costs $90. We don't know at this time how much rent the trapeze artists
are going to pay the city; we'll update when we learn more.
Occupy
members say they received verbal notice to be out of the encampment by
next weekend. They say they were offered an alternative location in a
parking lot near the train station on South Tamarind Avenue and the
School of the Arts.
The movement, which has held on despite the
dismantling of other groups nationwide, is holding a general assembly
meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at 2 p.m., when they plan to discuss the
possibility of an upcoming move.
Stefan Kamph is a New Times staff writer.
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