Occupy Wellington protesters have put tents back up in Civic Square, following an eviction this morning.
At 6.30am this morning about 20 police, flanked by council security guards moved in on the protesters at the Civic Square.
The protesters were given a verbal eviction notice and were given 30 minutes to move on.
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Protesters removed most of their things at this time.
ONE News reporter Lucas de Jong said since then 10 protesters have returned.
He said a short time ago council staff arrived with fences to try and fence off the area but have since left.
Police said they will arrive at the camp later today, but until then protesters will be allowed to stay on the site.
One protester told ONE News he will remain at the camp until he is arrested.
Wendy Walker, the council's director of citizen engagement, says
the council will always support the right of people to protest, but
not when it results in public land being damaged and taken away
from use by the general public.
"The council has been reasonable with the campers throughout this
process but the occupation became a way of life. Camping on this
site is in direct breach of council's bylaw and could not continue
indefinitely."
Acting Mayor Ian McKinnon says the protesters have been
using the area for 108 days and it causing considerable
damage.
"Council officers have tried on a number of occasions to negotiate
with the protesters but without success. It is certainly now time
this area was once again available to all Wellingtonians."
He said temporary fencing will be put around the site in an attempt to stop protesters.
Earlier Wellington City Council rejected Occupy protesters' requests to stay in the city.
Protesters were seeking permission to stay next to the City to Sea Bridge until July 4, and also asked the council to supply them with a building in the central city for occupation.
However, in a letter sent to the group last week, council chief executive Garry Poole rejected all requests and demanded Occupy Wellington must pack up and go, or they will enforce the bylaw by whatever means possible to evict them.
Occupy Auckland stand-off
Last week, a stand-off developed in Aotea Square when up to 60 police and around 40 council security guards moved in to evict Occupy Auckland protesters.
It came more than 100 days after they set up camp in the square.
Twenty people were arrested for offences such as breaching the peace, trespassing and wilful damage. They included one person arrested for assaulting a member of the public.
But, Occupy Auckland protesters reclaimed a grassed area of Aotea Square on Saturday after fences erected by the council were ripped down.
After a march from downtown Auckland, more than 100 protesters held a countdown, then sprinted to Aotea Square from Wellesley St.
Some protesters appeared unhappy with the action, saying it was not what the protest is about.
A handful of police were present but did not take action.
Protesters then marched up to the Auckland central police
station where they yelled slogans, before returning to Aotea
Square.
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