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The office of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich is considering filing a civil suit against Occupy L.A. protesters. Protesters could find themselves on the hook for damage to city property, the costs of remediation and clean-up, lost business opportunities and the loss of film permits, according to Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the City Attorney's Office. "The City could potentially file a civil [suit] and attempt to recoup the costs for any Occupy LA-related damages caused by any responsible persons or entities," Mateljan wrote in an e-mail to LAist. The Occupy L.A. movement is famously (or notoriously) leaderless, decentralized and, well, not rich. So it's not immediately obvious how the city would try to recoup money from protesters. There's one exception: any damages the city ends up paying out to Occupy LA protesters who sue the city. The Daily News reports that there are two suits filed in federal and state court by Occupy L.A. against the city (although it is not clear what the nature of these two suits are). Mateljan confirms that the city attorney would be taking a look at any damages paid out to protesters that prevail against the city: "In addition, in any civil lawsuit filed against the City, the City has the ability to counter-sue for any claims or damages it may have against the plaintiff."
Here's a quick recap: In the beginning, Eric Garcetti told protesters to "stay as long as you need." The city council voted to support the movement