Two Occupy D.C. protesters have their Thanksgiving meal at the McPherson Square in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 24, 2011. (credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Park Police are increasing their patrols of two public squares near the White House where protesters are camping out as part of the Occupy movement.
The National Park Service handed out fliers Friday that cited public urination and defecation, illegal drug and alcohol use, and assaults at the two encampments. The park service also says improper trash disposal has led to rodent sightings.
Occupy D.C. participants in McPherson Square have not issued any official response to the fliers. But organizers of the Stop the Machine protest in nearby Freedom Plaza say they are treating the fliers as “a threat of eviction and arrest.”
Park Service spokeswoman Carol Johnson says complaints from neighbors, mostly around McPherson Square, led the park service to hand out the fliers.
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