3 Occupy Miami protesters arrested

Riot police in the southeastern US city of Miami have arrested three Occupy protesters who defied an eviction order calling on them to leave the perimeters of the Government Center.

The anti-corporatism protesters were given until 5:00 pm (local time) on Tuesday to leave their encampment or face arrest for trespassing.

The Government Center in Miami is the headquarters building of the Miami-Dade County government.

Rapid Deployment Force, a specialized unit at the Miami-Dade Police Department, moved in to disperse the gathering as the deadline passed Tuesday

“I think they’re in violation of our rights as American citizens to protest. I think we have the right to do this,” said Carol Patman, one of the protesters.

The latest arrests come as local authorities across the US have in recent days launched a crackdown against the nationwide Occupy movement.

Occupy protesters in the US capital of Washington DC were also given eviction orders on Monday to leave their encampments at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza. However, they defied the order and vowed to maintain their resistance.

Meanwhile, police officers in riot gear in the US city of Oakland, had on Sunday morning arrested some 400 Occupy protesters who attempted to take over several governmental buildings.

The protest campaign owes its inspiration to the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, which began when a group of demonstrators gathered in New York’s financial district on September 17 to protest, among other things, against the excessive influence of big corporations on the US policies and the high-level corruption in the country.