The Occupy Camp in Boston is gone. Police arrested 46 Occupy Boston protesters last night as they swept through Dewey Square, tore down tents, and cleared the park.
The Huffington Post reports that the raid began around 5 a.m. this morning. The city had set a deadline of last Thursday for the protesters to clear the camp but police action didn’t occur until this morning. Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said that the Occupy Boston camp was cleared to “ensure compliance with the trespassing law.”
According to the Guardian, the protesters were “very accommodating” to police. Forty-six protesters were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, but no violence has been reported.
As police entered Dewey Square, they announced via megaphone:
“If you don’t leave the park, you will be subject to arrest. You are trespassing on Greenway property.”
The Boston Globe reports that several protesters linked arms and sat in the square to resist the eviction. They chanted:
“Tell me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like.”
The passive protest landed many of the protesters in jail. Superintendent William Evans said that the protesters knew that they were going to be arrested and did not fight back. Evans said:
“They wanted to get arrested. It went very well, and we’re very happy with this operation.”
The Occupy Boston encampment is just the latest Occupy site to be shut down by police. According to Fox News, demonstrations in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco have also been shut down.
Do you think the police were right to shut down the Occupy Boston camp?
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