Cops Put End to Occupy Atlanta Camp

Atlanta has followed through on its threat to clear out its Occupy Wall Street encampment. Police arrived at a park in downtown Atlanta and evicted protesters just after midnight, making 53 arrests, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Mayor Kasim Reed revoked a permit allowing protesters to stay in the park until Nov. 7, saying he was upset about an unauthorized hip-hop concert that drew hundreds of people to the park over the weekend. The arrests in Atlanta—in contrast to those in Oakland—were relatively peaceful. And though organizers had urged Occupiers to return to the park at 6am, the Journal-Constitution notes that it remained vacant at 7:30am.

More evictions seem likely as authorities in cities across the country lose patience with the protest camps, the AP reports. Officials cite noise and sanitation concerns, as well as the cost of policing protests. The mayor of Providence is threatening to go to court within days to evict protesters, and Philadelphia's managing director complains that Occupy Philly has failed to respond to a letter about health and safety concerns. "They just can't ignore us indefinitely," he says. "Every day that they haven't addressed these public safety concerns simply increases the risk." Click for more on the situation in Oakland. (More Atlanta stories.)