MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Police in Minneapolis moved quickly Thursday to remove tents set up by anti-Wall Street protesters at City Hall.
The protesters had moved their tents about a half-block after their tents were forcibly removed about 4 a.m. by security personnel at the nearby Hennepin County Government Center.
The protesters have been occupying the government plaza in varying numbers since Oct. 7. They have skirmished with county officials over erecting tents, and last week lost a legal challenge of the county's order forbidding structures on the plaza.
The protesters erected tents Wednesday evening in defiance of the legal setback, and security officials let them stand for several hours before moving in. Twenty-seven tents were removed, but none of about 45 protesters were arrested, sheriff's spokeswoman Lisa Kiava said.
At City Hall, at least four officers picked up a protester and forced him into a police car as they moved in to remove tents and sleeping bags. Other protesters stood by shouting at the officers on megaphones, and six protesters laid down.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
