Detroit Police Chief Praises Occupy Detroit

   In many cities police have raided and evicted Occupy groups from their encampments. City councils have also often complained about the protests and want them to go away. Detroit is an exception. Occupy Detroit has had good relations with both the city and the police.
    Detroit police chief Ralph Godbee said: "Many thanks to #OccupyDetroit for working with DPD to truly maintain peace and exercise free speech in a manner we all should be proud of!" In many cities police have arrested protesters, used pepper spray and batons and often used tactics that some would regard as using too much force.
    Detroit police have not arrested anyone. The Occupy Group stayed for more than five weeks in a Detroit Park. The city even granted the group a permit to camp in the park. The permit has just expired and the group is moving voluntarily to a building where they plan to continue their work including community organizing.
   The city council praised the group even comparing them to the civil rights movement. The protests went on without police action even though at one stage the group marched through streets without any permit and even blocked traffic at a bridge to Canada. Unfortunately most cities have not used Detroit as a model. Since there has been no trouble at Detroit the protests have mostly been ignored by the media. For more see this article.