Protestors arrested at "Occupy Raleigh"

RALEIGH

On Saturday, Occupy Raleigh launched its first major protest at the State Capitol.

By early afternoon, a group estimated at more than 500 people had gathered at or around the Capitol building. About 100 broke off and led a march around 1 p.m., and again just before 3 p.m.

Raleigh Police say their estimates indicate about 400 people were consistently on the Capitol grounds at the crowd's peak, while organizers say about 1,000 people came to the rally at different times throughout the day.

The group's permit for the grounds of the State Capital was from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but by 5 p.m., police said about 100 people were still there. By 6 p.m., the number had dropped to less than 30.

Most of that group refused to leave by 7:30 p.m., and Raleigh Police began making arrests and charging protestors with trespassing.

On Sunday, authorities identified the people arrested after refusing to leave the Capital grounds.

The arrested protestors range from age 20 to 66. Most are from Raleigh, with others from Pembroke and Martinsville, Va.

A spokesman for the Raleigh Police Department confirmed 19 people were initially arrested and charged with second-degree trespassing. Authorities said another person was later arrested when she tried to enter the Capitol grounds after being told they were closed.

Greensboro Police Chief Ken Miller estimated the size of a similar protest in that city at about 600 on Saturday. More than 80 protesters in Wilmington protested outside the downtown building of Bank of America on Saturday.

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