8 arrested, tents cleared today at Occupy Seattle - police and city parks employees thrashed protesters' encampment

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8 arrested, tents cleared today at Occupy Seattle

Seattle police and city parks employees went into the Occupy Seattle protesters' encampment in Westlake Park at 7 a.m. Monday morning and cleared out the 150 or so tents and police made eight arrests.

Seattle Times staff reporters

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Police pull a protester away who tried unsuccessfully to take back his tent as Seattle police made eight arrests in Westlake Park about 7 a.m this morning.

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The 150 Occupy Seattle tents in Westlake Park were taken down by 7:30 Monday morning as Seattle police and Seattle parks employees moved in to clear what the city has long said was illegal camping on city property

All the tents were down within ahalf-hour, according to Assistant Police Chief Mike Sanford.
The protesters were told to take the tents down. If they didn't take them down themselves, police or parks employees took them down for them, according to Sanford.

The eight arrests were for investigation of obstructing police.

One demonstrator, who identified herself as "Sarah T" said that Sunday night was unusually quiet in the makeshift camp, but that early Monday, large groups of police showed up, some on foot and some on bicycles, trampling through the camp and taking down tents.

After the tents came down, some of the 250 or so protesters in the park began chanting, "Show me what oppression looks like." and other protesters responded, "This is what oppression looks like."
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