Occupy Miami protesters ordered to move

MIAMI (WSVN) -- Demonstrators with the local Occupy Wall Street movement now have a new home after they were forced to move their tents from their protest area in Downtown Miami.

Miami-Dade County had issued the Occupy Miami group a permit to utilize a lawn area near Government Center. However, that permit expired at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The county said that it needs the space that was being used by the Occupy Miami demonstrators in order to begin a construction project.

Miami-Dade County sent the protesters a letter asking them to vacate the space by 5 p.m. Thursday or face being forcibly moved from the area.

Before the deadline, many protesters had already moved their tents to an adjacent lawn about 30 to 40 feet from their current one, but a group of about three dozen demonstrators remained on the lawn when the deadline was reached.

"They asked us to do it, so I figured we just have to go ahead and abide by what they say," said Jermaine Ford of Occupy Miami. "We're here as peace city, so we're not trying to cause a ruckus. We're just going to go ahead and move and give them what they want."

The protesters that remained informed police that they would move, and authorities gave them time to relocate. The remaining group is expected to leave peacefully. "The majority of us decided to move, anyway," said Occupy Miami protester Raul Sorando. "There might be some people that don't want to do that, but the majority of us are moving. I don't want to get arrested."

County officials worked out a deal with Occupy Miami protesters, and they will be allowed to return to the original lawn at the completion of the construction project.

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