Crime & Safety

Supporters: "Nature Dave" is No Bank Robber

Occupy Easton members rally on behalf of man arrested for taking "You're Being Robbed" signs to banks.

His given name is David Christopher Gorczynski, but to the members of Occupy Easton, he's known as "Nature Dave."

And he's the last person in the world, they say, who'd try to rob a bank.

Still, that's the charge Gorczynski, 22, of the 100 block of Northampton Street, is facing after he allegedly went into two city banks carrying a sign that read

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He was arrested Monday morning on charges of attempted robbery, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

But Gorczynski's supporters say the message "You're being robbed" wasn't aimed at the banks -- in this case the in Centre Square and the on Larry Holmes Drive -- but at their customers, telling them that "the banks are robbing you."

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(Police say he carried a second sign with the slogan "Give a man a gun, he'll rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he'll rob a country.")

After Gorczynski was arrested Monday, other members of Occupy Easton rallied around him, holding a protest outside , and setting up an on-line fundraiser that helped collect the money to bail him out of prison.

They'd raised enough by Monday evening to post 10 percent of his $10,000 bail, and Gorczynski was released, according to the Facebook page set up to support him.

"I am completely baffled by it," said supporter Kelly Ryan, "because on Saturday, he was protesting in front of Wells-Fargo."

Other protesters said Gorczynski had brought signs into the banks before, although it was unclear if any of them had made reference to robberies.

Some police officers showed up, and told the group to make sure the sidewalk was clear. They also told the men carrying "F--k the police" and "F--k these fascists" signs to put them away, or face disorderly conduct charges.

Glenn Steckman, city administrator, said the police haven't arrested anyone from Occupy Easton. But what about Gorczynski? That's a different case, he said.

City Councilman Mike Fleck, who was watching the protest with Steckman, argued Gorczynski stopped being a protester when he took his signs into the banks. 

"If he was outside the bank property, that's one thing," Fleck said.

Steckman wouldn't join him in that argument. 

It will ultimately be up to a higher authority -- a judge, maybe even a jury if the case gets that far -- to determine what Gorczynski is. For now, his supporters are collecting money for a defense fund. 


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