Police make arrests at Occupy L.A.

Police make arrests at Occupy L.A.

Police and Los Angeles protesters skirmish

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police in riot gear closed in before dawn Monday on anti-Wall Street activists who defied a midnight deadline to vacate an 8-week-old encampment outside Los Angeles City Hall, but the police later pulled back.

After a tense standoff with protesters who had taken over a downtown intersection, police reopened the streets in time for morning rush-hour commuters, but a crowd of activists estimated to have numbered at least 2,000 overnight remained at City Hall, for the time being.

Four demonstrators were arrested on suspicion of being present at an unlawful assembly during the brief confrontation, and police withdrew from the immediate vicinity of the City Hall park a short time later.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had given protesters until 12:01 a.m. local time to dismantle their tents and clear out of the park or face a forcible removal, setting the stage for the latest showdown between leaders of a major U.S. city and the Occupy Wall Street movement.

But about two hours after the eviction deadline had passed, police commanders said they would permit the Occupy LA encampment to stay until at least daybreak. Police Commander Andrew Smith later said he thought it "highly unlikely" that the camp would be forced to shut down on Monday.

Across the country, a 5 p.m. Sunday deadline set by Philadelphia officials for Occupy protesters there to move from one municipal plaza to came and went without incident.

Dozens of people heeded the order but many tents and other structures stayed put. Police sources said authorities are hoping the rest of the protesters will relocate voluntarily and that no major actions are expected before Tuesday.

 Police make arrests at Occupy L.A.