Mike Harris, KPHO.com/CBS 5 NewsPHOENIX (CBS5/AP) -
An estimated 1,000 people attended the Occupy Phoenix event that began with a noon rally Saturday at Cesar Chavez Plaza that ended with dozens being arrested, according to investigators.
Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump said there were no major incidents or injuries at the demonstration, but arrests were made later in the day as the crowd moved to Hance Park at 1100 North Central.
There 45 people were arrested after refusing to leave after the park's listed closing time of 10:30 p.m.
CBS 5 News was there as they were released Sunday night, "It makes me more motivated toward it. I may not look motivated, I'm a little tired, pardon me. But I definitely feel more motivated and I feel like I did the right thing with all this and I hope that more people come join us," said Peter Szayer. He spoke with us moments after his release Sunday night.
A smaller crowd of about 100 occupied Cesar Chavez Plaza again Sunday where a CBS 5 News crews witnessed one more arrest. A former soldier refused to the leave the inside of the park after it closed at 6 p.m. He was arrested while everyone else watched from the sidewalk.
Most of those arrested were passive in nature and no injuries were reported to either officers or demonstrators, said Crump.
Some of the best video and images of the encounter between police and protesters were captured on camera by photojournalist Mauro Whiteman of a student-run news organization called "Downtown Devil." CBS 5 News regrets that those images were not properly credited Sunday night.
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