City Sets Strict Rules for Occupy Riverside

Group numbers 200 protesters at times

Over the weekend, a group of Occupy Riverside activists started hanging out on the mall in downtown Riverside.

At times the crowd was estimated at 200 people.

Riverside has set strict rules for the "Occupy" people. They can't set up tents, and they can't camp or sleep on the downtown mall overnight. The city did grant a permit for the protesters to camp in the parking lot of the Service Employees International Union, which is just a few blocks away from the mall.

Members of Occupy Riverside have been told that they can sit on city benches and chairs, but they can't bring their own chairs. During the past few years, Riverside has spent millions of dollars renovating the downtown mall, and as the holiday season approaches, it is the location of outdoor concerts and an ice skating rink.

It is unclear how long the group would like to continue its Riverside-based protest.

"Occupy" protests, inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York, have sprung up across Southern California in the last few weeks. Over the weekend, two people were arrested at Occupy Long Beach. Occupy LA protesters marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.

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