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Sunday could be last night for Occupy Boise encampment

by Kim Fields and KTVB.COM staff

Bio | Email | Follow: @KTVB

KTVB.COM

Posted on February 19, 2012 at 5:12 PM

Updated Monday, Feb 20 at 8:40 AM

BOISE -- Sunday could be the last night for members of the Occupy Boise protest to camp out on state property across from the Idaho Statehouse. 

The House on Friday passed emergency legislation to remove the protesters from their encampment.
 
The group's been camped out there since November, protesting what they call corruption and greed of America's wealthiest one percent.

The bill now goes to Governor Otter's desk for his approval. Otter has said in the past he will sign the bill. The emergency clause of the legislation means as soon as Otter signs the bill, the protestors must leave.
    
Sunday, Otter's press secretary told KTVB that it's not a matter of "if" Otter will sign the bill, but when.
 
Occupy Boise is expecting they'll be told to leave Monday or Tuesday. They said while the tents may leave, their movement won't.
 
"They can manipulate the law to shut us down here, but we're still a movement," said Spencer Zachel with Occupy Boise. "We're not tied to any one place. We can be wherever, we can meet and communicate and keep doing what we're doing, which is way more than camping."

Even though Monday is a federal holiday, Otter has scheduled business at the Capitol for the morning. That means he could sign the bill to evict Occupy Boise as early as Monday morning.

Stay with KTVB and KTVB.COM for more on the bill and the effects on Occupy Boise. 

Speaking of the movement, there is no talk of resistance there. Occupy Boise has prided themselves on remaining peaceful for the more than three months they've been at their encampment.    

The legislation will give the protestors 90 days to gather any abandoned property after their exit.

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