Occupy Cedar Rapids members drop lawsuit

IOWA CITY - Members of Occupy Cedar Rapids have dropped their lawsuit seeking to protect their encampment from city intrusion after moving locations for the winter.

Attorney Robert Wilson said Friday the group dismissed its lawsuit seeking an injunction preventing city officials from seizing tents and other property.

Wilson said the lawsuit was no longer necessary after the owner of a vacant home offered to let protesters meet there. He said protesters will use a vacant lot to store some of their property and are prepared to return to court if necessary.

The group sued last month after the city warned protesters to remove tents and fire pits or they would be seized. The city claimed the accumulation of private property was illegal, but protesters said they had a right to be there.