Police dismantled a tent city of Occupy protesters in San Francisco early on Wednesday, arresting more than 50 people as authorities shut down the last major anti-Wall Street encampment on the US West Coast. The city had repeatedly warned the protesters to move from the public plaza at the foot of Market Street in recent weeks and tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a move to another area.
About 100 people were in the camp when a similar number of officers moved in just before 2 am local time, San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said. About 50 people were arrested, he said, including two for felony assault after they hit a policeman in the face with a chair. The action was otherwise mostly free of violence. A small group of protesters continued to confront police along Market Street but had largely dispersed by 5:30 am. Efforts to clear an Occupy camp in Oakland last month led to violent confrontations between police and protesters and several serious injuries. San Francisco authorities were eager to avoid a repeat of that.
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