Judge orders Madison "Occupy" campers to leave site
MADISON (AP) -- Campers are dismantling their tents after a Dane County judge ordered what began as an Occupy Madison demonstration to leave a city-owned lot.
Police expect the campers to be gone by mid-afternoon Tuesday, May 1st. They had until noon to leave the site.
No incidents have been reported.
The Occupy Madison movement began last October as a demonstration against economic inequality and social injustice. But the encampment has evolved into a gathering spot of mostly homeless people. About 50 to 60 people have occupied the site.
Mayor Paul Soglin says the encampment has become a haven for drug use, assault and property crime. Soglin said the encampment will be treated as a hazardous waste site during cleanup because of reports of needles and bodily fluids.
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