#OccupyAtlanta Day 4

It was a rainy, dreary overcast day on Monday. I was getting ready for work when my phone exploded with text messages about rumors of a planned police action expected to take place at 11pm that evening. The call went out almost  immediately over twitter and facebook for every one available to head to the park.

I arrived shortly before 11pm to find a massive police presence a few blocks outside of the park. There were multiple patrol cars, prison transports, and even a commandeered Marta bus. The protesters had gathered at the center of Woodruff, and their numbers had grown almost three times the size of the amount of people I saw Saturday.

The park was crawling with news media, who slowly circled the park trying to find the best angle for the potential confrontation.  A group of about 40 protesters had taken up position in the center of the park, arms locked with no intention of leaving.

The 11pm cut off time came and went, with no real movement from either side. The protesters had begun marching around the perimeter of the park, but they didn’t have any real target until an city official began giving interviews to the media nearby.

The protesters quickly surrounded the interview location and made their presence felt. The city spokeswoman was drowned out by the protesters shouting, and quietly vacated the location flanked by her escorts. The Fox 5 anchor on location could do nothing but stand and watch as the protesters took over the corner.

What followed could only be described as posturing as both sides took up their positions. The protesters swarmed the sidewalks on Peachtree and marched towards the few street cops that had taken up position on the perimeter of the park.

As the night wore on and the rain picked up it seemed as if the police were slowly pulling back, till eventually the police presence dropped to almost nothing. It seemed as if the protesters had been able to keep a hold of the park for one more night. As of now the police have issued two warnings to the protesters to vacate the property, and it wont be much longer till this confrontation comes to a head.

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