IF THEY WEREN'T THERE TO PARTY THEY'D HAVE JOBS:

Changes in Occupy Los Angeles crowd prompt concern (Dakota Smith, 11/05/11, LA Daily News)

As the growing Occupy L.A. movement enters its second month, the makeup of the crowd is changing. New arrivals are coming from out of state. Others are showing up who are more interested in drinking and partying than protesting the nation's political structure. And, there are significantly more transient men and women at the campout since it began.

"There are more homeless moving in, and with that there are the associated addiction issues and mental health issues," said LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith.

Sunday night, Los Angeles police officers arrested a man for carrying a concealed weapon, one of the first arrests on the lawn. A woman overdosed on heroin the same night and was taken away by ambulance, according to numerous Occupy L.A. residents.

Joseph Thomas, a volunteer with the homeless advocacy group Community Action Network, has spotted crack cocaine use at the site a handful of times.

"The drugs are being brought in by the younger (protesters) crowd," Thomas said. 

Posted by oj at November 5, 2011 5:14 PM
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