130 arrested in Occupy Chicago

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CHICAGO, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- About 130 Occupy Chicago protesters were arrested early Sunday when the group refused to leave Grant Park, police said.

A group of about 2,000 to 3,000 rallied Saturday night after a march from Federal Plaza to Congress Plaza at Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway. About 100 decided to remain in the area and stay overnight in nearby Grant Park with hopes to set up a more permanent camp, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday.

Police announced anyone remaining in the park after its 11 p.m. closing time would be arrested. A few hundred people gathered on nearby sidewalks, but by about 2:40 a.m. the plaza was clear, Central Police District Cmdr. Christopher Kennedy told the Chicago Tribune.

Protesters in the Occupy movement, which began in New York on Wall Street, cite a number of reasons for their involvement including taxing the rich, war funding and education. University of Chicago graduate student Patrick Van Kessel held a sign at the march that read "separation of corporations and state."

"I have been waiting for a movement like this for a while," he told the Tribune.

Sunday's incident marks the second weekend of arrests in the Occupy Chicago protests -- Chicago police arrested 175 people Oct. 16.