Police arrest more Occupy Atlanta protesters

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Police arrest more Occupy Atlanta protesters

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Police arrested 20 people after Occupy Atlanta protest rally in a city park spilled onto streets.

07 November,2011 04:33 am

Police arrested 20 people after an Occupy Atlanta protest rally in a city park spilled onto the streets and officers converged on them on motorcycles, on horseback and in riot gear.A crowd of several hundred protesters had gathered at Woodruff Park, the scene of about 50 arrests of demonstrators last month, and set up tents. Organizers had said they planned to stay overnight despite warnings from the mayor and police that anyone there past the 11 p.m. closing would be arrested.But as 11 p.m. approached, protesters began decamping peacefully. Dozens of officers were on hand, herding protesters away from the parks entrances and installing barricades around it. A police helicopter flew overhead.While most protesters left the park, a few people stayed behind. And as demonstrators poured onto Peachtree Street and downtown, a police officer on a motorcycle drove into the crowd, sparking a confrontation between officers and protesters that turned tense at times.Police officers in riot gear and on horseback filled the street, warning protesters to stay on the sidewalk. The protesters shouted at the officers, chanting slogans such as, Shame Shame and What about your pensions? A small group yelled more insulting things like, Put the pigs back in their sty, we the people occupy. Police made a number of arrests, mostly people who disobeyed orders to stay on the sidewalk.Police issued a statement early Sunday saying 19 people who either refused to leave the park after the 11 p.m. closing time or blocked nearby roads were arrested. The statement also said another person accused of assaulting a motorcycle officer on patrol was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and obstruction.