After more than seven weeks of tenancy, the Occupy Davis movement has decided to pull up its stakes and vacate Central Park.

Occupiers began tearing down the encampment on Wednesday morning after deciding as a group on Monday that they could more effectively protest in other ways.

“I think we’ve made a significant statement with the time we’ve been here already,” said occupier and Davis resident Skyler Blakeslee. “Also, it’s cold and it’s wintry and it may be a good time to hibernate.”

Until this week, the protesters had made no plans to leave the park.

Occupy supporters — who had remained in Central Park since mid-October as a sign of protest for economic equality and against corporate greed, among other issues — did make it clear, however, that they will still be heard from.

“This does not mean that our movement is ending or that we will stop having actions; rather, that our movement will now be proceeding in a new way,” Blakeslee wrote in a letter to all Occupy Davis supporters.

“Our goals can best be served by regrouping and refocusing on more targeted political actions. 24/7 occupation has been a valuable tactic for us so far, and an immensely successful strategy for the wider Occupy movement, but now we intend to set aside continuous occupation for the time being, so that we can gather ourselves and strengthen our movement.”

Over the past few weeks, city officials, including City Councilman Stephen Souza, had visited the protesters to urge them to rethink their strategies.

On several occasions, Souza suggested that the Occupy supporters protest only during the day.

“Frankly this is the way it should operate,” Souza said. “People should have the ability to express their First Amendment free speech rights.

“But it was a little inconvenient for folks and the movement is moving to the next stage of its evolution.”

According to Blakeslee, the group will continue to have general assemblies in the park and possibly hold marches and other actions.

And though the group has altered its tactics, it still believes it can accomplish a great deal.

“We have also learned much about each other as well as the challenges we face and power we possess,” Blakeslee wrote. “We would like to emphasize that the wider Occupy movement and our own local manifestation of it are only just beginning. The movement will continue to grow and become stronger.”

The encampment had moved locations within the park twice during its occupancy. City officials first asked the campers to move from their original site in the northwest corner of the park because the grass there was beginning to die.

However, after the encampment moved closer to the center of the park, city officials began to field complaints about the encampment’s proximity to the Farmers Market and suggested a move back to the original site.

Though the city never offered a timeline for removal of the camp, and though city officials were considerate of the protesters’ First Amendment rights, the city began to apply a bit of pressure on the protesters.

Early last week, the Davis Police Department issued a notice of violation, pointing out that the camp was not in compliance with Davis’ “no camping” ordinance.

Citations can be issued only after a notice of violation. But Davis police Capt. Darren Pytel said the city did not issue any citations and did not order the camp to disperse.

Blakeslee did admit, however, that a possible citation was a factor in the assembly’s decision to leave the park.

“To some extent, the threat of citations from the city did play a role,” he said.

City Councilwoman Sue Greenwald said she was glad that an amicable resolution to the situation was reached.

“There are many ways to demonstrate and get their voices heard and I hope they continue to do so in a way that gets the people of Davis behind them,” Greenwald said.

— Reach Tom Sakash at [email protected] or (530) 747-8057. Follow him on Twitter @TomSakash

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From left, Josh Jones, Cody Collins and Danny Lambert dismantle a tent Wednesday at the Occupy Davis encampment at Central Park. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise photo

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