One Occupy Honolulu protester was arrested at Thomas Square on Thursday as city officials continued to rid Oahu sidewalks of personal items under a nearly 2-month-old ordinance.

But several members of Occupy Honolulu said they would be back at Thomas Square today.

Jamie Baldwin, a social worker, said she "plans to stick around here for a while."

Baldwin, who was arrested Nov. 5 for being in Thomas Square after 10 p.m., added, "I don’t think we are going anywhere."

Her case will be heard Feb. 8 in state District Court.

Protester Chris Smith said he removed some personal items so they wouldn’t be confiscated. But he said he has no plans to leave the park.

"I’m here to make a stand, not to play games with them," said Smith, who said he came to Hawaii on Nov. 1 to help organize the local protest movement.

Westley Chun, director of the city Department of Facility Maintenance, said no action will be taken against the protesters if they don’t erect tents or other structures.

The arrest of the 29-year-old man came as city workers for the Facility Maintenance and Parks and Recreation departments completed removing tents, books, bedrolls and other personal items belonging to the protesters.

The arrested man, who friends said had been arrested in November for staying in the park after 10 p.m., was arrested for allegedly obstructing governmental operations — a misdemeanor.

The protesters began breaking down their tents Thursday morning after receiving notices Wednesday from city officials that all personal items had to be removed from the sidewalks at South Beretania Street and Ward Avenue. City officials passed out 31 notices at Thomas Square.

Only four tents remained on the sidewalk in front of Thomas Square at 8:45 a.m.

Occupy Honolulu protesters were told they had until 9 a.m. Thursday to remove tents, furniture, suitcases, bikes and other personal items or the items would be confiscated and taken to the Halawa base yard and stored for 30 days. Unclaimed items would be sold or destroyed.

City crews stood by to remove any belongings left on the sidewalk. But at about 9 a.m. two city dump trucks and city crews drove away to help clean up the sidewalk around Aala Park, where about 17 removal notices also were issued to homeless campers on Wednesday.

Occupy Honolulu is part of a broader movement that is largely demonstrating against disparities in the nation’s economic system.

City officials said Wednesday that they had received roughly 30 complaints about the protesters camping on the sidewalks on Beretania Street and Ward Avenue.

Trish Morikawa, coordinator of the city housing office, said the protesters can remain and hold their signs at Thomas Square. However, no personal property will be allowed to remain on the sidewalk. She said the issue at Thomas Square is not one of free speech, but of storing private property on government property.

The Occupy Honolulu encampment first formed at Thomas Square on Nov. 5, just before the start of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. The protest moved to the sidewalks after police arrested eight protesters for camping in the park after the 10 p.m. closing time. Those cases go to trial Feb. 8.

Police arrested two more protesters Dec. 29 when city officials determined the boundaries of the park extended to part of the sidewalk. Protesters then moved to the portion of the city sidewalk next to the curb.

Occupy Honolulu participants met with Mayor Peter Carlisle shortly before Christmas and were told that he would not grant their request for an exemption allowing them to stay at the park. The campers had sought the exemption, citing the First Amendment right to free speech.

Carlisle signed the sidewalk storage ordinance into law on Dec. 9, and the city began enforcing the law on Dec. 30, when workers notified several property owners in Mililani that basketball hoop structures placed on public sidewalks were in violation of the ordinance. All owners promptly removed the structures, the city said.

In January city officials issued 25 removal notices at Pawaa In-Ha Park at King and Kaheka streets. Another 19 notices were issued to homeless campers at Moiliili Field and Old Stadium Park. City crews also used the ordinance to remove the belongings of homeless campers in Iwilei, where 38 notices were issued.

All items confiscated at Thomas Square, Iwilei, McCully and Pawaa are being stored at the Halawa base yard.

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