SAN FRANCISCO — Police arrested 70 “Occupy San Francisco” protesters early Wednesday after hundreds of police officers in riot gear cleared out the movement’s downtown encampment.
Officers entered the Justin Herman Plaza camp around 1:30am local time, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, and told protesters to collect their belongings and leave.
Police said 30 protesters refused to leave and another 40 began to block nearby Market Street in protest.
All 70 were arrested on suspicion of illegal lodging and camping in a public park, police said.
Another two were arrested on suspicion of felony assault on a police officer after they threw a metal chair at an officer, hitting him in his face shield and causing minor injuries, the report said.
Protesters sang the national anthem as they were arrested, but the arrests were mostly peaceful, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Kristopher Sullivan, a 31-year-old camper told the Chronicle that protesters were given five minutes to gather their belongings and clear out.
But San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee defended the police action, saying that campers were given enough time to leave.
“Communication … deteriorated to a point where it was clear no progress could be made,” Lee said in a statement. “In order to maintain public health, public safety and return the plaza for everyone’s use, city agencies peacefully and orderly ended the encampment at Justin Herman Plaza.”