Carrboro Police Chief Carolyn Hutchison stands by the arrest of a participant in Saturday's "Guerilla Gardening" protest against CVS and says criticism of the department has hurt officer morale. (See our earlier post here.)

"Yeah, absolutely it hurts morale," Hutchison said in an interview today. "We continue to do the right thing. We focus on our roles and responsibilities as police officers and enforce the laws ... despite the lack of support."

Carrboro Commune and some members of the Board of Aldermen have criticized or questioned police for arresting a man chalking in a traffic lane on West Weaver Street, saying that police arrested him to send a message.

Hutchison said she ordered the arrest -- he was charged with impeding traffic, a misdemeanor -- and takes responsibility for it. She says she did want to send a message, as she had announced the department would do last week, that protesters would be charged if they broke the law.  But Hutchison says police also gave the protester multiple warnings, which he ignored.

"I made the decision because his behavior warranted it," Hutchison said. "He placed himself in harm's way, and I elected to stop him from doing that. I watched him look at the vehicles (and) remain stooped in the roadway. He had an opportunity (to move). he didn't do it."

"I wanted to send a message to all people, whether they participated in the garden event or not, that unlawful behavior would be dealt with."

We are continuing to report this story for a print edition later this week. If you would like to talk with a reporter, please contact Mark Schultz at 919-932-2003 or Tammy Grubb at 336-380-1325.    

By Tammy Grubb

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen has agreed to hold a future discussion about Saturday's "guerrilla gardening" demonstration after some participants complained about the Police Department’s response.

The event was held at the corner of Weaver and North Greensboro streets to protest a proposal to build a new CVS store there. During the protest, group members lobbed “seed bombs” of clay, dirt and wildflower seeds over the fence, planted other herbs and flowers, and hung fabric chains and artwork from the trees and fence.

Police Chief Carolyn Hutchison said 22 officers patrolled the block on foot and in vehicles during the event. Officers also videotaped the event and took photos, both of the participants and observers at the scene.

Elizabeth Reeves, a member of Carrboro Commune, said the group's event was “an exciting and filling experience,” but criticized the Police Department’s “tactics of intimidation.”

“I say that this is menacing because law enforcement in the United States has a dark history of using footage to single out and target activists for arrest and undermine social movements. We have no idea why this footage is being shot, with whom it is being shared and for what purpose,” she said.

NOTE: You can now see a new photo from last night on my Facebook page. Tell us what you think about this story here or on the FB comments thread or in a letter to editor@newsobserver.com

A group of anti-capitalist activists briefly occupied a building at the site of a planned CVS drug store in downtown Carrboro today but left about four hours when police told them to leave or they would be arrested.

Mayor Mark Chilton entered the building at 201 N. Greensboro St. across from Carr Mill Mall early this evening.  "I asked them not to damage the property and asked them to leave," he said in an interview. "They asked me to leave."

"I asked them what their plans were. They asked me what my plan was. One of them suggested ice cream. I said I'd be glad to get them ice cream if they wanted to eat it on the sidewalk." 

Demonstrators, many wearing bandanas to cover their faces, heckled the mayor as he stood before television cameras and reporters in the building lobby. They asked Chilton if he was breaking the law by being in the building too. A giant sign hung on the wall that said "Under capitalism we're all under gunpoint."

"Please leave this property," the mayor said in a loud voice at about 7 p.m. "You're trespassing, and there may be other crimes you're committing as well. The time has come for you to leave this building."