(De)Occupy protesters return to Thomas Square after

Members of (de)Occupy Hono­lulu were returning to Thomas Square tonight despite the removal of their tents, furniture and other belongings by city workers during an enforcement action late Thursday night.

Officials, using the authority granted by two city ordinances, cleared the Ward Avenue-South Beretania Street corner of the park of pallets, tents, chairs, signs and other objects belonging to (de)Occupy Hono­lulu members. In all, the city seized 10 bins of items, city spokes­man Jesse Broder Van Dyke said.

Two people asked human services personnel for help seeking emergency shelter, he said. One person, a 72-year-old man with no current address, was arrested on the scene on an unrelated outstanding warrant.

Facility maintenance workers, accompanied by Hono­lulu Police Department officers, conducted their action late at night because they were also enforcing the park closure law at Thomas Square, which formally shuts down at 10 p.m., said Broder Van Dyke.

The protesters had only a single tent at the Ward-Beretania intersection through much of today. But (de)Occupy Hono­lulu supporter Sugar Russell said, “More tents are on their way.” Supporters were focused with tending to the arrested man, who has medical conditions, so were late replacing the tents, Russell said.