Some business owners, patrons disturbed by Occupy Iowa Alliance protest

CEDAR RAPIDS - Iowans protesting in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement on Saturday flustered some business owners and patrons of the Cherry Building.

Occupy supporters from Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Clinton, Iowa City and elsewhere joined the Cedar Rapids group to form the Occupy Iowa Alliance. Roughly 50 people with drums and signs picketed in front of the businesses at 329 10th Ave. SE, where AirCover Integrated Solutions Corporation has leased space to manufacture 5 lb. surveillance drones.

Building owner David Chadima told reporters he is thrilled AirCover is going to be here.

“I think there has been a lot of misrepresentation of what air cover solutions actually does,” he said, noting the drones will be used for public safety and first response measures during emergencies.

The new business is projected to create up to 25 jobs. But that wasn't important to protester Leon Schmidt, 69, of Cedar Rapids.

“That doesn't mean we can't question a business at what they're doing just because it's creating jobs,” he said.

Twenty minutes after the picketers' arrival, Cedar Rapids police ordered them to move away from the entrance and continue the protest across the street, so they would not block foot traffic. The group obliged.

Some business owners were disgruntled, saying the protest caused many patrons to leave during the annual Very Cherry Holiday open house. During the event, the public is invited to visit and shop at the building's 40 independent small businesses.

Jason Wade of Occupy Cedar Rapids said members had been in contact with people at the Cherry Building, and met with them to discuss concerns.

He said he was unsure if every business owner caught wind of their protest, but they weren't planning a surprise visit.

“We didn't hide it, it was public knowledge,” said Wade, 34.

Wade said coordinating a mass protest with people across the state was difficult, and Dec. 3 was the ideal day. The fact that it occurred on the Very Cherry Holiday was “completely coincidental,” not purposeful, he said.

Business owner Steve Shriver said there were ways the alliance could have protested, other than to disrupt businesses. Shriver's business, Ecolips, has been operating out of the Cherry Building since 1997.

“This is everything that you do not want to be protesting...Other than to take away from one of the few successful entrepreneurial incubators of the city,” he said.

He said he was unfamiliar with the plans AirCover Integrative Solutions has with the surveillance equipment.

The company is set to begin operation in early 2012.