*Last I checked, protesting was a right, not an entitlement

I don't normally pay attention to the LAT's reader comments, but I decided to check out the reaction to a plan supposedly being considered by city officials that would move the Occupy L.A. protesters to a downtown office space - and provide some sort of land for farming. The response has been... well, let's say it hasn't been positive. A sampler:

LA.... what a joke. So all you have to do is camp downtown and hold the city hostage long enough. Then they will give you free rent and farm land.

The adult children are being taught the wrong lesson. They are being taught if they throw a tantrum long enough, their parents (the government) will give in and buy them a toy.

This is a horribly dim-witted precedent to set. LA's sympathetic liberal bureaucrats are either (1) complete morons or (2) Politially corrupt. My guess is they are both.

You just created the perfect STORM. Taxpayer's will NOT stand by while you pay extortion to a bunch of CRY BABY. Do Nothings.

Moving the protesters from one location to another will not stop the movement. As thousands more lose their jobs, their homes, their health care and pensions, etc they will join those already in the street.

Shouldn't the title of this read, " LA offers up different proposals in ransom negotiations."

Oh boy. But what did you expect? Not helping is the way the LAT story starts off...

Los Angeles officials have offered Occupy L.A. protesters a package of incentives...

Incentives? For camping out? The last I checked, protesting was a right, not an entitlement. But before we jump to too many conclusions, it's worth pointing out that no firm deal has been offered, at least some of the protesters don't seem wild about moving (or about being told what to do in general), and I have yet to see any comment from the mayor, the council, or the chief of police. They're stuck in the middle of nasty political cross currents - not wanting to tick off the labor groups that are nudging along the protests, but not wanting to tick off essentially the rest of Los Angeles that wants to see closure to the two-month encampment. Forget about your political leanings - this thing is starting to get out of hand, with the homeless, some of them mentally ill, moving into the area. Predictably, the cops are reporting an increase in crime. My guess (certainly my hope) is that the Occupy L.A. "incentive plan" won't happen and that eventually the cops will move in. With any luck, they'll do it carefully and respectfully.

*Daily News reporter Dakota Smith tweets:

Occupy LA protester Adam Adler: "We demand the city give us Hall of Justice. The entire thing." Says just talking for himself, not group.