Orlando police arrested 11 Occupy Orlando protesters early on Sunday morning at the Senator Beth Johnson Park downtown Orlando, where demonstrators have been occupying since the start of the movement.
OPD said, those arrested had failed to comply with an Ordinance which stipulates that the Park must be cleared by 11:00 p.m.
At the time of the arrests, which began just before 12:30 a.m., protesters were holding a First Amendment Teach-In and an open political discussion in the Park.
Police arrived with a show of force in 11 cruisers, two unmarked SUVs and a van. As protesters were led away, there were shouts of “Shame! Shame!” from other members of the group, as they chanted for their right to assemble under the First Amendment.
Prior to the arrests, some who spoke in the open political discussion, talked about why they had joined the Occupy Orlando movement. One young woman told the group that she had been denied medical care for “making too much money,” even though she was earning a mere $8.00 an hour, three days a week.
Two members of Occupy Orlando media group were among those arrested. They were live streaming the proceedings on the internet at the time of their arrest.
On Sunday, protesters held a “People Over Profits” march which saw more than 1,000 persons in attendance, most carrying signs in solidarity with Bank Transfer Day, which was held on November 5.
