Police evict Occupy Boston protesters; 46 arrested

Police officers swept through Dewey Square early on Saturday, tearing down tents at the Occupy Boston encampment and arresting dozens of protesters, bringing a peaceful end to the 10-week demonstration.

Boston: Police officers swept through Dewey Square early on Saturday, tearing down tents at the Occupy Boston
encampment and arresting dozens of protesters, bringing a
peaceful end to the 10-week demonstration.

Officers began moving into the encampment at about 5 am
to "ensure compliance with the trespassing law," police
spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said.

The city had set a deadline for midnight Thursday for the
protesters to abandon the site but police took no action until
early today.

Boston is the latest in a string of cities where
officials have moved to oust protesters demonstrating against
what they call corporate greed and economic injustice.

As the officers moved in, about two dozen demonstrators
linked arms and sat down in nonviolent protest and police soon
began arresting them, according to the Boston Globe.

The protesters were "very accommodating" to the officers,
Driscoll said. Forty-six people were arrested on charges of
trespassing and disorderly conduct, police said. No injuries
were reported.

The entire operation lasted less than an hour. Crews then
entered the area to begin cleaning it.

Protesters first erected the encampment on Sept 30. Many
pulled up stakes and left the encampment Thursday after
learning of the midnight deadline Mayor Thomas Menino had set
for them to leave the square, but others stayed, and some said
they were prepared to be arrested.

While Menino previously had said the city had no plans to
forcibly remove the encampment, he appeared to become
increasingly impatient with the protesters in recent days,
saying the occupation had become a public health and safety
hazard.

PTI

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