Police arrest anti-capitalism protesters in Atlanta

As the US police continue heavy-handed tactics against anti-capitalism protesters across the country, five people were arrested early Monday at a downtown park in Atlanta. The developments came a day after 19 demonstrators were taken to jail by officers in riot gear when a rally spilled into the streets. The Atlanta police have imposed a curfew on the city and are arresting people for rather ridiculous reasons. Police said one protester draped in an American flag inside Woodruff Park was arrested after refusing to leave by a Sunday night curfew, and four other people on bicycles were arrested near the park - three for traffic violations and one for obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Atlanta police have arrested protesters several times since Mayor Kasim Reed revoked an executive order permitting the demonstrators to sleep in the park overnight. The protest group held its general assembly meeting earlier in the evening, then marched back to Woodruff Park. Occupy Atlanta organizers earlier said they planned to again camp at the park, setting up yet another showdown with police and the mayor. There have been other arrests at similar protests across the US in recent weeks. Some of the most intense confrontations between demonstrators and police have been in Oakland, Calif., where two Iraq War veterans have been hurt in separate clashes with officers. Over the weekend in Atlanta, 19 people were arrested on various charges. Before Saturday's 11 p.m. curfew, a crowd of several hundred protesters had set up tents at Woodruff Park, the scene of about 50 arrests of demonstrators last month. As the deadline approached, dozens of officers were on hand, herding protesters away from the park's entrances and installing barricades around it. A police helicopter flew overhead. The demonstrators who were forced and beaten to leave the park spilled onto Peachtree Street. An officer on a motorcycle drove into a crowd marching on the street. Video of the incident appears to show two people pushing against the front of the motorcycle as the engine revs. A scuffle ensues when a third person intervenes, which leads to a sometimes tense confrontation between protesters and officers. Police officers in riot gear and on horseback filled the street, warning protesters to stay on the sidewalk. The protesters shouted at the officers, chanting slogans such as, "Shame! Shame!" and "What about your pensions?" A small group yelled more insulting things like, "Put the pigs back in their sty, we the people occupy."