Atlanta police arrest around 50 anti-Wall Street protesters

David Goldman
/
AP

An anti-Wall Street protestor in Atlanta can be arrested early Wednesday after refusing to go away
an urban area park.

msnbc.com staff and also information support reports

up-to-date
10/26/2011 9:26:19 PM ET
2011-10-27T01:26:19

Police moved right directly into a downtown Atlanta park and arrested about 50 Occupy Wall Street
protesters who have been encamped there for approximately fourteen days Wednesday, although
throughout the nation in Oakland, Calif., officers within riot gear stood watch right after clashes
there with demonstrators overnight.

Oakland demonstrators vowed in Wednesday to go back to their protest web site just hrs right after
police cleared countless people from your streets together with tear gas as well as bean bag rounds.
Your city had erected a new chain-link fence across the plaza inside the morning, and workers were
mowing your grass and also sweeping up remnants of the encampment that was dismantled your day
before. after the encampment has been cleared Tuesday, protesters began marching toward city
Hall within an attempt to re-establish a presence in the location with the disbanded camp.

Officers furthermore fired beanbag rounds, clearing out the actual encampment of protesters in
lower than an hour.

Story: Iraq war vet injured in your course of Oakland protests

The web site was amongst numerous camps that have sprung up around the country as protesters
rally against whatever they notice as corporate greed and a wide array of some other economic
issues. The Actual protests get attracted a new wide selection of people, such as college students
trying to become able to find work and furthermore the homeless.

Video: Police fire tear gasoline about Oakland protesters (on this page)

Meanwhile, police upon Wednesday closed the actual downtown Atlanta park, exactly where police
arrested dozens. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in a statement that the arrests were produced after
protesters with Woodruff Park moved from peacefully demonstrating in order to "increasingly
aggressive actions" in recent days.

Reed said 1 man had walked via your park with an assault rifle, along with demonstrators had
inserted wire hangers straight into electrical sockets to generate extra energy sources. Authorities
failed to say how long your park would remain closed.

Many gathered inside the middle with the park, locking arms, along with sang "We Shall Overcome,"
until police led these people out, one-by-one to waiting buses. some had been dragged out although
some left on foot, handcuffed with plastic ties.

Story: Earnings associated with top one % far outgrew others: report

Police included SWAT teams in riot gear, dozens involving officers in motorcycles and a amount of in
horseback. Simply By regarding 1:30 a.m. Wednesday the park ended up being mostly cleared
associated with protesters. Organizers had urged protesters to occur back in the morning,
nevertheless through 8:30 a.m. it absolutely was even now mainly empty, the Atlanta JournalConstitution reported about its website.

The Occupy protests more than economic inequality possess spread from the single camp within The
Huge Apple city for you to cities across the United States Regarding America as well as beyond since
mid-September, overlapping with similar, earlier protests in Europe. An attempt earlier this month
to wash the particular The Large Apple site, that protesters there feared was a tactic in order to shut
them down, ended with authorities backing off.

Georgia State Sen. Vincent Fort had been among individuals arrested along with had arrive towards
the park within support in the protesters within latest days. He said the authorities presence was
"overkill."

"He's using every one associated with these sources ... This specific will end up being the nearly all
relaxing place in Georgia," Fort said, referring for you to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "At the
particular urging involving the company community, he's moving individuals out. Shame on him."

Reed asserted your protests price the town about $300,000, the particular Atlanta JournalConstitution reported.

Some protesters could be overheard saying these people would return for the park with 6 a.m.
Wednesday, when it might end up being legal on his or her behalf being there. TV images confirmed
the particular quantity of police way outnumbering the actual protesters.

Scuffles along with police

Oakland demonstrators vowed to go back as well.

Feeding the particular movement: How Occupy protesters are generally eating
The variety of protesters diminished with every round associated with gas, by early Wednesday there
get been just a couple of dozen in the web site in the clashes.

The last skirmish there Tuesday night came around 11:15 PT in front of Area Hall, in which in turn a
haze involving chemical smoke even now hung in the air. Earlier within the evening, the crowd had
numbered about 1,000, in accordance with SFGate.com. BART closed Oakland's 12th Street station
because associated with tear fuel deployment, KNTV reported.

Police set up the existence in a plaza in which usually a pre-dawn raid Tuesday dismantled an
encampment of Occupy Wall Street protesters which had dominated the location with regard to
more than a couple of weeks.

Authorities removed with regards to 170 demonstrators whom ended up staying within the region
overnight after repeatedly getting warned that such a camp ended up being illegal plus they faced
arrest simply by remaining. city officials said 97 people were arrested within the morning raid.

The 1st evening scuffle broke out right after several hundred folks made his or her means back
again for you to Area Hall throughout an try to re-establish any existence within the area with the
disbanded camp.

The protesters had gathered at a downtown library, marched toward city Hall and also ultimately
were fulfilled by law enforcement officers inside riot gear. several small skirmishes broke out along
with officers cleared the location through firing tear gas.

Video: Police within riot gear obvious Occupy Oakland

The scene offers repeated itself several times since. Nevertheless each occasion officers transfer to
always be able to disperse the actual crowd, protesters rapidly gather again inside assemblies in
which authorities have got declared illegal. Tensions rise as protesters edge closer for you to police
line as well as climax when someone throws the bottle or rock along with authorities reaction along
with volleys of gas.

Police have got denied reports they employed flash bang canisters to help break up your crowds,
saying the loud noises originated in large firecrackers thrown in police through protesters.

Protesters defiant
Helicopters scanned the location late Tuesday and also scores involving officers wearing helmets as
well as carrying clubs patrolled your streets. Fire crews responded to little blazes inside trash
containers.

Protesters moved with regards to uneasily even as you employed a bull horn to state his resolve.

"This movement is a lot more than only the people versus the police," Mario Fernandez said. "It's in
regards in order to the folks attempting to have their rights for you to fundamental services."

He added, "This crowd isn't likely anywhere whenever soon."

Acting Police Chief Howard Jordan informed reporters at a night time news conference which
authorities had few other choice, saying the actual protesters had been throwing rocks as well as
bottles from officers.

"We had to deploy fuel to prevent the actual crowd," he said, in accordance with a KCBS report.

City officials claim that a couple of officers were injured. at least 5 protesters were arrested as well
as several others injured in the evening clashes.

In Oakland, tensions between your metropolis as well as protesters are already escalating since final
week as officials were unsatisfied with what they described as deteriorating safety, sanitation and
health problems at the website in the dismantled camp.

The Actual Connected Press contributed to be able to this report.

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