Occupy Prov. marches for homelessness

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP/WPRI) - Members of Occupy Providence were on the move again Saturday as they marched to the State House, hoping to put an end to homelessness and foreclosure in the state.

The movement was joined by affordable housing advocates and both groups left Burnside Park where protestors have been camped out for almost two months around noon on Saturday afternoon.

Their march ended with a rally on the steps of the State House with the event being appropriately named by Occupiers as "State House, Our House!"

On Friday, Governor Lincoln Chafee issued a statement allowing the protestors to pitch their tents on the State House lawn and spend the night there at the end of the rally.

In his statement, Chafee outlined how under policies of the State House, events are not permitted on the grounds past midnight. However, he then concluded the statement by saying, "through good-faith negotiations and productive discussions, representatives of Occupy Providence have agreed to a prompt, peaceful, and orderly departure from the State House grounds. In exchange, the Governor has agreed to temporarily waive some of these policies."

Several other advocacy groups were also marching alongside the Occupy protestors including, The Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless and The Tenant and Homeowner Association, a committee of Direct Action for Rights and Equality.

Participants marched to the State House to call on the Governor and the Legislature to ensure that all Rhode Islanders have a place to call home by passing three legislative initiatives: 

• Homeless Bill of Rights, which ensures that those Rhode Islanders who experience homelessness would be afforded the same rights, privileges and access to public services that housed Rhode Islanders have.
• Just Cause/Right to Rent, which prohibits banks from evicting, tenants and former homeowners from foreclosed properties unless they fail to pay rent or otherwise give "just cause" for eviction.
• Dedicated Funding for Affordable Housing, which ensures the state's commitment to ongoing funding for affordable housing. Rhode Island is one, of only nine states, with no dedicated funding stream for affordable housing.

Despite the cries of Occupy Providence, Rhode Island lawmakers continue to hold true to their promise of not taking any physical action toward the protestors like in other cities.

In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino evicted protestors in the Massachusetts Capital City and had police officers begin disassembling tents early Saturday morning; 40 people were arrested.