Police in Standoff with Occupation DC Protesters

In the middle of last night, Occupy DC protesters constructed a large wooden structure at McPherson Square in Washington DC. The location is one of two in DC that occupiers have taken over. The occupiers planned to use the structure as their general assembly during the winter months.

When Park police discovered the structure in the morning, they ordered protesters to take it down. The occupiers refused and approximately two dozen moved into the structure in an attempt to prevent the structure from being taken down by Park perosnnel.

DC Metropolitan police and US Park police now have the structure surrounded. Those inside appear to fully expect they will be arrested. They are not going to make it easy, a few have climbed on the roof of the structure.

Some early arrests have been made of occupiers in the general crowd surrounding the structure, but it is not clear why these people were singled out.