Police Give Occupy D.C. a Tidying

Washington, D.C., riot police swept away much of one of the last remaining Occupy encampments early Saturday morning, clearing McPherson Square of tents banned under area rules while leaving those that met regulations. Six protesters were arrested, but Occupiers are still permitted to demonstrate at all hours.

View more photos of the cleanup taken by D.C.-based photographer Andrew Bossi here. —ARK

AP at The Guardian:

Dozens have been camped since 1 October in McPherson Square, just blocks from the White House. Similar to the New York protesters, who strategically occupied a park near Wall Street to highlight their campaign against economic inequalities, the District of Columbia group selected a space along Washington’s K Street – home to some of the nation’s most powerful lobbying firms.

On Saturday, the police used barricades to cordon off sections of McPherson Square, a park under federal jurisdiction, checked tents for mattresses and sleeping bags, and sifted through piles of garbage and other belongings. Some wore yellow and white biohazard suits to guard against diseases identified at the site in recent weeks.

By mid-day police had arrested six people, including four protesters who refused to move from beneath a statue and two others for crossing a police line.

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thisisbossi (CC-BY)

A cleanup crew removes items from the Occupy encampment in McPherson Square in Washington, D.C.