When Occupy movement protesters set up camp in Jacksonville late last year, City Councilman Don Redman tried to have their protests shut down.
On Tuesday, he tried another front. He elbowed in on their turf.
“I’m just going to be hanging out,” said Redman, who set up a table and two folding chairs near the steps to the City Hall entrance — right where the handful of occupiers shoot video of their efforts.
A sign on the front of the table, draped with an American flag tablecloth, was a sign reading “Councilman Redman’s desk.” He represents District 4, which jumps the St. Johns River at downtown and includes Hemming Plaza and City Hall, and told Occupy participants he was “meeting with constituents.”
Redman stacked a few religious pamphlets and some cards about services for the homeless on the table, saying he thought the demonstrators might need them.
The vocal critic of the protesters was reacting to his frustration with the demonstrators, who he argues are breaking city laws.
When he wasn’t playing Rush Limbaugh on the radio, though, a civil back-and-forth started between the two sides, with Redman at one point debating teaching of creationism with a protestor who was recording him.
Occupy participant Gilbert Gregg told Redman he wasn’t homeless. Gregg, a math major at Florida State College at Jacksonville, said he works two jobs and is an A student.
“You work two jobs. … And you still have all this time,” Redman answered.
Redman stayed into the afternoon before leaving, and he said he expects to be back on future days.
“I won’t be staying overnight,” he said.
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