SEATTLE -- Seattle police officers returned to Westlake Park early Tuesday morning in a renewed effort to get protesters supporting the "Occupy Seattle" movement to move to another location.
Police and Parks officials have been pleading with the protesters to move to City Hall Plaza or face arrest. But protesters have held firm, even despite a stormy autumn night that featured heavy rains and blustery winds.
But additional pressure to leave may come Tuesday morning as the Parks Department is eager to complete its regularly-scheduled cleaning of the walkways and concrete at the park, but are hampered by the tents and others who refuse to leave. As the sun rose, officers were escorting cleaning crews as they began their work.
The new pleas to leave follow several attempts to get the protesters to leave Monday night. Announcements from Seattle Parks and Recreation officials came around 10:30 p.m. said the park closed at 10 p.m., and therefore the protesters must vacate.
But around midnight, a staff member of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn appeared at Westlake Mall and said no arrests would be made overnight, according to Occupy Seattle organizers. That staff member, who refused to address the media, said the same would not be true for Tuesday night, protesters said.
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