Your Umbrella Is A Structure

According to the SLOG, the Mayor's office is publicly saying that Occupy Seattle protesters could remain in Westlake Center, as long as they aren't using "structures" to aid in their occupation. Naturally, one would assume that this specifically means the tents that were the cause of so much consternation earlier in the week. Which, all right, sure.

However, that same SLOG piece reports that the Seattle Police Department are telling protesters they can't stand under awnings, use tarps nor sit down under an umbrellas ("you can't have an umbrella open unless you're standing and holding it," one policeman is quoted as saying).

Umbrellas. Really?

In other words, the mayor and the police department are attempting to break up the protesters by making it really inconvenient for them. It's a strategy, can't argue with that, even if it is exceedingly pedestrian and petty.

We're sure these moves are endearing him to somebody (or at least he seems to think so), but we are having a hard time imagining who they would be.