Tennessee governor Bill Haslam said Tuesday that a series of curfews and arrests were done in order to protect demonstrators and the Occupy Wall Street movement taking place in his state.
The Republican governor spoke with reporters on Tuesday, a day after state officials agreed to stop enforcing the curfew.
Mr. Haslam, who has faced criticism for his handling of the issue, said Tuesday that state officials were working to allow the demonstration to move forward, adding that the state must take into account the safety of residents.
“Actually, it was just a common sense issue,” the Tennessee Republican said. “People are camping out. There are no public restrooms.”
“Our purpose is to provide a safe environment. If we can come up with rules to make that happen, then that’s what we’re for. Our goal is not to remove people from the Plaza. Never has been, never will be. Period. Our goal is to provide a safe environment. That’s not just our goal. That’s our legal responsibility,” said Mr. Haslam.
Mr. Haslam’s statement comes just days after the state of Tennessee declined to defend the governor’s crackdown on protesters at Legislative Plaza, allowing a court order banning more arrests to move forward. Law enforcement officials initiated the crackdown on Monday, citing a lack of resources to adequately address the protest.
“For us, this isn’t about winning a legal argument, OK?” Mr. Haslam said, responding to questioning concerning the crackdown.
The Nashville protesters are part of the six-week-old Occupy movement, which began in lower Manhattan to decry corporate influence in government and wealth inequality. It has spread to cities large and small across the country and around the world.
