ATLANTA,None — Fifty-three Occupy Atlanta protestors were arrested Wednesday morning in Woodruff Park. Hours later, they were at the Atlanta municipal court, facing charges for staying in the park too late.
The arrested protesters were charged with use of a public park at night, which could bring up to six month in jail and a $1,000 fine. There were nine lawyers defending them pro bono.
Police started the evacuation of Occupy Atlanta late Tuesday night. The previous day, Mayor Kasim Reed revoked his executive order, which allowed protestors to camp out in Woodruff Park. Reed believed the situation had reached a point where dialogue was no longer working.
"Those concerns were increased (Tuesday) when we saw a gentleman in the park with an AK-47," Reed told Channel 2's Ryan Young. "We could not determine whether the weapon was loaded and could not get additional information on the weapon."
Just before midnight, police started ordering people to leave the park. Officers went from tent to tent with flashlights, urging people to leave before a second warning was issued.
Around 12:45 a.m., police officers started arresting the protestors still in the park.
GALLERY: Occupy Atlanta protestors removed from Woodruff Park
Police included SWAT teams in riot gear, dozens of officers on motorcycles and several on horseback. By about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday the park was mostly cleared of protesters.
"It's real simple: This is a crisis of priorities that this small group of campers ... is the greatest threat in this city. It's outrageous," said organizer Tim Franzen.
Organizers had instructed participants to be peaceful if arrests came, and most were. Many gathered in the center of the park, locking arms, and sang "We Shall Overcome," until police led them out, one-by-one to waiting buses. Some were dragged out while others left on foot, handcuffed with plastic ties.
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State Sen. Vincent Fort was among the arrested and had come to the park in support of the protesters in recent days. He said the police presence was "overkill."
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"He's using all these resources ... This is the most peaceful place in Georgia," Fort said, referring to Reed. "At the urging of the business community, he's moving people out. Shame on him."
The mayor's office told Channel 2 Action News that officers arrested 53 people in the park. Those arrested were taken to the Atlanta City Detention Center.
"Our city should be pleased with the way that the officers across the street handled themselves and treated the people that we arrested," Reed said.
Hundreds of others stood on Peachtree Street, booing police. They shouted "Shame!" and "Who do you protect? Who do you serve?"
"We know for a fact that we have crossed the $300,000 threshold in terms of dollars spent," Reed said.
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Occupy Atlanta issued a press release after the arrests. In it, the group indicated it will gather at Woodruff Park at 7:20 a.m. and march to the jail. From the jail, the release said it would assemble at Atlanta Municipal Court, hold a press conference at City Hall at 11 a.m. and conduct a anti-war march at 5 p.m.
The mayor made it clear on Monday that Occupy Atlanta protesters were no longer welcome and he wanted them to pack up and leave. Reed changed his tune after accusing protesters of putting on an illegal hip-hop concert over the weekend.
"As of Saturday, when the hip-hop organizers arrived at Woodruff, they had not submitted payment in the appropriate form and had not booked security for the event," said Reed.
The mayor's office estimated nearly 600 people assembled in the park without the proper permits, and said that made it a danger to the public.
On Tuesday, Ambassador and former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young met with organizers of Occupy Atlanta to give them advice.
"I would tell you it's in your interest to pack up and go," Young said.
Young said it's time for Occupy Atlanta to focus on the message and long haul.
"You have to be very clear of what you are saying, and you have to have a consensus on what changes do you want in the American economy," Young told the protesters.
At a news conference late Tuesday afternoon, Occupy Atlanta's Ladie Mansfield said the protesters were not going to back down and they had formed a legal team to assist them with a plan with proper protocol and precautions once the police attempted to remove them.
"There are those willing to be arrested, if it comes to that point," Mansfield said, maintaining the protest was non-violent.
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