This is a developing story. We will make updates to this story as we follow it.
Update 1:27 a.m. Nov. 12:
Following the events of Friday night through early Saturday morning, Lt. Dan Zarrick of the St. Louis Police Department gave a briefing to the press. Here are a few of the points from that briefing:
- 27 arrests were made and no resistance was offered at any point.
- All arrested are being charged with violating city's park curfew.
- Those arrested are being booked and will be taken to the City Justice Center.
- There was one medical emergency during the course of the evening when a bystander, not a protester, had a seizure. An ambulance took the individual away.
It's unclear what would happen if protesters stay in the park past 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12. Police will be monitoring the situation. Belongings collected by the city may be claimed at 1212 N 13th St. on Saturday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. according to St. Louis' Department of Human Services director Bill Siedhoff.
Update 12:48 a.m. Nov. 12:
More information from earlier: there is another hearing now scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m. regarding the injunction ruling made Friday night.
Update 12:28 a.m. Nov. 12:
Via our reporter Rachel Lippmann, police are now on the scene of the protests and arrests are being made. The mood is noisy, but those arrested are going without fighting.
Update 11:58 p.m.
Via our reporter Rachel Lippmann, the judge has denied the temporary restraining order. Also, the Occupy St. Louis protesters are saying that 25-30 police cars have assembled down the street from the protest site.
Update 11 p.m.
Via our reporter Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis City Parks and Recreation Director Gary Bess is at Kiener Plaza.
Update 10:20 p.m.
Via our reporter Rachel Lippmann, at approximately 10:15 p.m., 15 minutes after the proposed deadline of enforcement, there are only about four police officers on bicycles at Kiener Plaza and no other obvious police presence. There is still no word on the status of the temporary restraining order described in our previous update.
Update 4:05 p.m.
Via our reporter Rachel Lippmann, a group of attorneys supporting the Occupy St. Louis movement say they will seek a federal temporary restraining order against the eviction of the protesters in Kiener Plaza. The attorneys say they are working pro bono.
Original Story posted 3:20 p.m. Nov. 11:
Earlier Friday afternoon, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay tweeted that "Reporting on Occupy has improved. The group can stay in Kiener, but must obey the laws. #fgs"
This statement caused some confusion across social media, with some asking if the statement meant that Slay intended to allow the protesters to stay without enforcing the 10 p.m. curfew or requiring them to remove their tents.
Slay's spokesperson, Kara Bowlin, clarified the matter for St. Louis Public Radio shortly after with the following statement:
They must remove the tents and cannot violate curfew. We have given them 24 hours notice, ending today at 3, before we begin enforcing ordinances. So, the EARLIEST we will remove tents would be 3pm today, and curfew starts at 10. During the day, they can be in Kiener just like [you] or I could...with no tents and not overnight.
Thursday, the city of St. Louis gave the Occupy St. Louis group notice that city would begin enforcing city ordinances, including the removal of tents, after 3 p.m. Friday.
![The Occupy St. Louis encampment at Kiener Plaza. Protestors are blasting Mayor Francis Slay for "heed[ing] the complaints of the corporate groups who control the city" in his effort to clear the Plaza.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/21f3b68/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x397+0+2/resize/260x172!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkwmu%2Ffiles%2F201111%2FOccupySTL.jpg)
