Occupy Madison Event Denied Access To Town Green By First Congregational Church

The Occupy Madison event on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. has been moved to a small patch of land in front of the old Academy School, town-owned property, after being denied access to the Madison Town Green, which is owned by the First Congregational Church.

First Selectman Fillmore McPherson said he had no objection to the group using town land as long as they were orderly and did not block town roads. "I discussed it with the police chief and we see no problem with it as long as they are not disorderly," he said Wednesday afternoon.

The Occupy Madison group wrote an open letter Wednesday, letting people know about the change of plans, after receiving an email from Bob Hale, the head of the church council, saying “this type of event is not permitted.” Hale said in the email that the church learned about the event after reading about it in Patch.

The church owns the green

The Rev. Dr. Chris Nichols, the pastor at the church, said that he was not involved in the decision about the event, but said it was his understanding that the council was concerned about the politcal nature of the event. "The church owns the green and the church has never permitted expressions of political position on the green," Nichols said. Nichols referred additonal questions to Laurie Satterwhite, the administrative assistant in the church's main office.

Satterwhite said it was her understanding that church officials became concerned after reading about the event in Patch. She said no one from the group had approached the church for permission. She added that not everyone knows that the green is the property of the church, which has been in existence since before Madison was incorporated.

"Our contract [that groups using the green are asked to sign] does not allow for political activities on the green," she said. She said that during her six-year tenure there, she did not know of any other groups that had been turned down.

Town green often used for concerts, graduations, picnics

The town green is often used for concerts, graduations, picnics, and impromptu activities like touch football and frisbee.

Groups like Habitat for Humanity also have used the green to build parts of houses that were later used in community builds.

Satterwhite said she did not know of anyone in recent history that's been denied permission, but said it may have been an issue in the past and that's likely why it was included in the contract.

Occupy Madison's letter

November 2, 2011

Open Letter to Patch:

To: The Council of the First Congregational Church of Madison, its congregants, and citizens of Madison

From:  The Communications Committee, Occupy Shoreline CT

This letter is to announce that the rally sponsored by Occupy Shoreline CT scheduled for Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. on the Town Green will be moved to the lawn outside the Academy School, ½ block east of the town green. This change of venue takes place at the request of the Council of the Congregational Church of Madison, which owns the town green and has stated that “this type of event is not permitted” there.

Before Saturday’s rally, Occupy Shoreline CT would like to take this opportunity to dispel any confusion regarding the nature of the event. This will be the fourth such event along the Shoreline, the first two occurring in Branford and most recently at the Guilford library.  

This is not an encampment; no one will pitch a tent. There will be no shouting or chanting.  These events are non-partisan, peaceful assemblies that allow those assembled the opportunity to practice the right of free speech. 

The heart of the discussion is economic justice and whether it is being served in this country. Those who choose to speak offer their perspective from their unique life experience. Whereas a young person might talk about student debt, older people might talk about their retirement accounts. Middle-aged people are likely to talk about the eroding value of their home or an uncertain financial future. Others speak about corporate personhood, government accountability, or the growing gap between the rich and poor.  The unemployed, a growing and often invisible presence in our community, have stepped forth to discuss their particular challenges.

At our previous three rallies people remarked that they were grateful for the opportunity to stand up and share their concerns in public. There is a recognition that each one of us is not alone, that we are, in fact, the 99%

James Madison, namesake of our town, would applaud such a discussion. The veterans whose memorial stands at the edge of the green and who fought for the freedoms of assembly and free speech would salute it.  The Congregationalists who founded the church and established the green, we believe, would be in accordance with a conversation about the morality of economic justice.