
Authorities extinguish a fire during the Occupy Denver Protest at Civic Center in Denver, CO, Saturday, November 12, 2011. Denver police forced stubborn protestors out of Civic Center park early this evening, tearing down illegally pitched tents.
Denver police in riot gear forced stubborn protestors out of Civic Center park early this evening, tearing down illegally pitched tents.
A cloud of smoke rose - not from tear gas, but from wood smoke as the protesters' cooking fire was extinguished.
A total of 17 people were arrested, according to Sonny Jackson, spokesman for the Denver Police Department. Five of those arrests were made on the 16th Street Mall, where some protesters headed after the encampment was cleared.
The confrontation came about five hours after Occupy Denver demonstrators marched through downtown for the sixth straight Saturday.
Comment: Physically the United States is not a leading "country in the region", though the Empire has a strong presence.