Occupy Nanaimo cost taxpayers $24,054.10, but those who took part in the movement say the majority of that money was spent needlessly on litigation fees.
A breakdown of the total money spent released by the city on Monday indictes city hall spent $18,954.10 on lawyers, $4,000 on port-a-potties, $850 in staff overtime and $250 in garbage bags and other miscellaneous supplies.
Occupiers, after several meetings with Mayor John Ruttan and city managers during the protest, were given a civil injunction in early December, demanding they remove their tents and other structures from Diana Krall Plaza, where the 20-30 occupiers had camped out since Oct. 15.
The B.C. Supreme Court approved the injunction and with help from city employees and RCMP, the tent city was removed on Dec. 9.
Matthew O'Donnell, Occupy Nanaimo spokesman, said the city shouldn't have wasted taxpayers' money.
"Negotiations with the City of Nanaimo were important and treated very seriously by Occupy Nanaimo," said O'Donnell. "We felt together we could bring real, positive change to the less fortunate of Nanaimo, while the city quietly compiled a court case going against Mayor John Ruttan's public and often televised election pledges to keep us fully aware and involved in a legal process. The city needn't have wasted money on legal fees."
He added that a price tag cannot be attached to some of the services Occupy Nanaimo provided to underprivileged people, which included shelter, more than 3,000 meals, sleeping bags, and a sense of community.
"They were invited to be a part of our community, whether they wanted to be a part of the Occupy movement or whether they just needed shelter," said O'Donnell. "The only thing we asked is that they be sober."
The global occupy movement was protesting growing financial disparities between the world's financial elite and increasing amounts of poor citizens, as well as a disappearing middle class. In some cities, police used force to oust protesters.
Ruttan said after a timeline to dismantle the illegal tents fell apart in negotiations, the city had no choice but to consider legal action.
"Here in Nanaimo, we were one of the last communities still working with the occupiers. We were working along the path of settlement and I think it would have happened but as it appeared to me, toward the end, there was a change in [the occupiers' thinking]. At one point there was a timeline, we were trying to work with that timeline, and at the end there was no departure date. That's where the policy started changing."
Coun. Jim Kipp said he appreciated the occupiers' attempt at peaceful protest, especially in light of violence in Syria where people are being killed for speaking out for what they believe.
"I'm disappointed we spent $18,000 on lawyers," said Kipp. "I believe Occupy Nanaimo intrinsically knew this world has to change ... I wish we could have left a tent there with a message that this was Occupy Nanaimo so people wouldn't forget the economy is collapsing and that people are having a tough time."
reporter2@nanaimobulletin.com