Occupy MN faces Monday deadline on city camping ban

New rules involving anti-Wall Street protests at the Hennepin County Government Plaza go into effect Monday to ban sleeping in the plaza, taping signs to county property and leaving personal items unattended.

The Hennepin County Board approved the changes last week.

"What we're trying to get at is people coming down to live on the campus. That's not protesting. That's something else. And there have been rules against camping in Minneapolis and in many other cities in the county for years," said Board Chair Mike Opat.

Occupy Minnesota representatives say the new rules improperly restrict First Amendment rights. But Opat says the Constitution doesn't prohibit rules to preserve public safety. The Occupy Minnesota representatives say they'll attempt negotiations with the county on Monday, but if that fails, they'll file a lawsuit over the new rules.