After 22 members of the Occupy Worcester protests were arrested on Saturday, city and police officials are calculating the monetary costs of the protesters’ presence at Lake Park and the recent arrests, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
City Manager Michael V. O’Brien told the Gazette that the costs have not yet been estimated, but the city is investigating how much was spent to send officers to check on the protesters starting when they first camped out on October 16. The figure will also include the cost of the arrests on Saturday.
“The Worcester Police respect the right of citizens to peacefully protest their grievances. The orchestrated arrest of 22 people on a busy Saturday night created an unnecessary strain on the police department’s limited resources,” police said in a press release, according to the Gazette. “In order to safely and effectively deal with the mass demonstration and arrest, multiple units of uniform and investigative officers were diverted from other pressing public safety responsibilities.”
According to the Gazette, protesters are planning a demonstration similar to that which got them arrested for this coming weekend.
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