▁at ▁ 3 ▁PM ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁Pla za ▁in ▁Ash land ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁opening ▁speech es . ▁The ▁original ▁protest ▁was ▁only ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁for ▁two ▁days ▁over ▁that ▁week end . ▁However , ▁the ▁protest ers ▁ended ▁up ▁sp ending ▁twenty - two ▁days ▁camp ed ▁in ▁the ▁Pla za ▁and ▁also ▁spent ▁the ▁days ▁making ▁small ▁protest ▁march es ▁throughout ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Ash land , ▁though ▁these ▁march es ▁eventually ▁dw ind led . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁around ▁ 1 5 ▁protest ers ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁Pla za ▁protest ▁camp , ▁with ▁ 4 0 ▁total ▁protest ers ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁daily ▁march es . ▁A ▁group ▁vote ▁was ▁held ▁over ▁the ▁week end ▁of ▁October ▁ 2 9 ▁and ▁the ▁Occ up y ▁Ash land ▁group ▁members ▁decided ▁to ▁less en ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁march es ▁and ▁camp ing ▁in ▁the ▁Pla za . ▁Instead , ▁they ▁decided ▁to ▁have ▁group ▁meet ings ▁every ▁week end ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁local ▁issues , ▁though ▁this ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁some ▁members ▁who ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁Pla za ▁should ▁remain ▁occupied , ▁regardless ▁of ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁city ▁officials . ▁ ▁During ▁late ▁November ▁and ▁early ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Occ up y ▁Ash land ▁members ▁began ▁foc using ▁on ▁trying ▁to ▁encou rage ▁students ▁at ▁Southern ▁Oregon ▁University ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁protest . ▁The ▁group ▁organized ▁a ▁march , ▁titled ▁Occ up y ▁SO U , ▁with ▁around