Dozens arrested in Ariz. anti-Wall St. protests

Anti-Wall Street protesters gathered Saturday in Phoenix at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Oct. 15, 2011. / KPHO

PHOENIX - Police moved into a crowd of protesters in Phoenix around midnight Saturday and arrested several people following an anti-Wall Street rally. Authorities said there also were arrests in Tucson.

Reporters and protesters saw an estimated 40 people detained at Margaret T. Hance Park just north of downtown Phoenix. The newspaper Downtown Devil also put the arrest figure at about 40.

Officers there declined to comment, and official department spokesmen did not immediately return calls.

The arrests came hours after anti-Wall Street protesters gathered in Phoenix and Tucson as part of a series of protests across the country against financial institutions.

In Tucson, about 100 miles southeast of Phoenix, some protesters were arrested after they remained in Military Plaza Park after the 10:30 p.m. closing time, police spokesman Matt Ronstadt said.

He did not provide a number, but said those arrested were issued citations and released.

The Tucson rally began around noon and drew several hundred people.

About 1,000 people attended the Occupy Phoenix event that began with an afternoon gathering at Cesar Chavez Plaza.

By 5 p.m., many protesters had marched to Margaret T. Hance Park and their numbers continued to dwindle throughout the evening.

After police repeatedly ordered protesters to leave, a line of about 100 helmeted officers, many carrying batons, formed around 11 p.m. PDT.

The arrests began around midnight after a group of demonstrators sat on the ground, refusing to move. Police slowly escorted them away one-by-one.

The arrests appeared peaceful and there were no signs of violence between the officers and a crowd of less than 100 people still milling about the park, which had officially closed by late evening.

Protester Davin Wright, 31, described the scene as generally peaceful, but he said police acted roughly during some of the initial arrests.

"Anyone who thought they were going to be crunching skulls; it's not going to happen," he said.

Later, a dozens of people remaining inside the park withdrew to the street as the line of officers slowly walked toward them.

The Downtown Devil reported that police left the park about 1:30 a.m.

Groups have been turning out across the country to express anger over costly health care and rising unemployment, and to cast blame on corporate interests for the economic pain they say all but the wealthiest Americans have endured since the financial meltdown.

The Occupy Wall Street protests started Sept. 17 in front of the New York Stock Exchange.

Saturday's rally in Phoenix followed a march Friday through the downtown area. Several hundred people chanted anti-bank slogans and waved placards attacking Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, big business and the wealthy — all under the watchful eye of police.

Rally participants vented a litany of frustrations focused on jobs, foreclosures, the rich-poor divide and corporate political influence.

Brenda Horwoth, 65, of Tempe, said she was laid off more than a year ago and hoped the movement would put pressure on banks to halt foreclosures, compel wealthy Americans to pay more taxes, and persuade businesses to boost hiring.

She was joined by her daughter, Rhonda Buhr, a 44-year-old casino blackjack dealer from Maricopa, who voiced support for livable-wage policies.

"I'm tired of CEOs making millions or billions while everyday workers are earning the minimum wage," Buhr told The Arizona Republic.

In Tucson, police said they had open lines of communication with the protest organizers and informed them that city ordinances required them to have permits and reservations, and overnight camping wasn't allowed without a permit.

Craig Barber, one of the spokesmen for Occupy Tucson, said the group was committed to a peaceful protest. He said if anyone got out of hand at the protests, they would ask them to leave.

"We're trying to do everything and anything we can to alleviate the concerns of the city and the police department," Barber told KOLD-TV.

[amerilatino]

Arizona??? Who the hell is there in Arizona to protest to, besides old, hoary, retired r&dn&cks with lung problems and rattlesnakes?

[Hosheen]

In a place where Joe Arpaio is the perennial sheriff how can you expect anything like the constitution to be respected?

The protests, now global, will see many more human rights violated. When it's over, free speech and the right to assembly will be the victims.

[Shainzona]

I hope that when it's over, free speech and the right to assembly will have won. (Hey, I can dream...and support that ideal!)

[lucifersshadow]

What we have in Washington is a bunch of corporate *** kissers, all the way up to and including the president. Nothing gets done on Capitol Hill because the average person on the street wanted it done, mainstreet America is locked out. They still want you to pay your taxes though, even though you are not getting representation in return. Anti-trust laws have been thrown out, and after countless mergers, we surrendered much of our power, freedom and wealth to corporate America. We absolutely must break the corporate power up, break up the banks, the military industrial complex, the lobbyists, the media . . . they all have way to much control over the government . . . We, the American people, must reclaim that which is rightfully ours.

[Shainzona]

Well - and truly - said!

[lucifersshadow]

Each protest costs the cities they are held in a lot money . . . and money is what they are so hooked on . . . . you can bet the rich have plenty of investments in the cities . . . so each protest hurts the rich. Economic forcasts by many, and by those who predicted the 2008 debacle indicate that things are going to get a LOT worse . . . these protests will not go away so easily.

[OranPF]

The crowd reached well over 2000 at its mid-afternoon peak. A sampling of the signs that show the diversity [and some common ground] of political cultures in attendance:
- "I bailed out Wall St and all I got was this lousy sign"
- "I can't afford to buy my congressman"
- "End corporate personhood"
- "I'll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one"
- "We are the 99%"
- "How's that trickle down thingy working for you?"
- "Krugman's Army. Fighting for Aggregate Demand"
- "Police officers are part of the 99%"
- "Best way to rob a bank is to own a bank"
- "End the Fed"
- "Banks are Piggy"
- "End the Drug War"
- "Jail the Banksters"
- "My taxes pay for corporate welfare"

[miami_don]

Sounds very American

[Shainzona]

Sounds perfect!

[gruven13777]

It always amazes me how many people in this country hate the 1st Amendment.

[lcalarea47]

i remember protesting the Vietnam war , it did no good , did not CHANGE anything , saw illegal Mexicans demanding amnesty didn't CHANGE anything . protesting will never CHANGE anything , only thing will is CHANGE IE OBAMA , CHANGE our politicians , they are barking up wrong tree , bark up to the politicians . there the ones running country's , they have control over you ...

[miami_don]

Americans are not being dealt with fairly - which is not a cry for pity but a battle cry.

[tjcrew1]

Why don't the police officers support the protesters? It makes sense. When local, county and state budgets cut back, police officers get laid-off! Obama's Job Program would keep more cops from being laid-off!

[miami_don]

Police have a job they are paid to do as professionals. It doesn't mean they like it.

[kevjustice]

dems and cons. two parties that are groomed and marketed by corporate america to give the illusion of choice. dems not nearly as bad as cons though.

[sandiegopete]

Like any oppressive regime, the corporate oligarchy that rules the United States will use arrests and beatings in attempts to silence any dissent. People need to be prepared to receive the anger of the wealthy rulers of our country. Those that have all of the politicians in their pockets will not just give them up for the asking.

Our Supreme Court has clearly stated that money equals free speech and whoever has the most money is entitled to the most free speech. This is truly the basis for any corporate oligarchy. In the U.S. today, almost nobody even gets on a ballot unless that person has already agreed to support the corporate interests that fund all elections. As the lower classes get poorer and the upper class gets richer the stranglehold of the corporations on government will increase.

The message of these growing protests is that we need to have a system where the citizens have a choice in the election of government representatives rather than a choice between two hand picked upper class candidates.