that demonstrators ' First Amendment rights do not extend to seizing and holding areas on which they sit . Authorities are `` obligated by law to preserve Dewey Square as a space open to the public , '' wrote Superior Court Judge Frances A. McIntyre . Boston Mayor Thomas Menino , who in the past appeared to tolerate his city 's chapter of the nationwide movement , later signaled that the area could be a safety hazard as winter weather rolled in , imposing a Thursday deadline for the group to clear out or face eviction . By Friday , however , protesters remained firmly entrenched in more than 100 tents . Saturday 's arrests was the city 's second large-scale action against demonstrators since the movement began there in late September . In October , 129 people were arrested during a march in which protesters allegedly blocked traffic and refused to disperse . The movement , which first sprang up in a Lower Manhattan park , seeks to highlight what it sees as corruption and growing income disparities between the nation 's richest 1 % and the rest of the country . CNN 's Dan Verello contributed to this
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police arrested 46 people Saturday morning after they swept through a downtown city square in Boston , Massachusetts , evicting `` Occupy '' protesters encamped there since late September , officials said . CNN affiliate WCVB broadcast images of handcuffed demonstrators being led away by police , who first offered the group the option of leaving before making arrests , according to police spokesman Eddy Chrispin . `` The city is in the process of clean-up and trying to restore Dewey Square to its prior state , '' said Chrispin . `` For the most part , it was nonviolent . '' By late Saturday morning , an `` Occupy Boston '' twitter feed was abuzz with news of the eviction . `` Occupy Boston is NOT done ! You ca n't evict an idea ! :-RRB- The camp may be gone but the people , ideas & passion is n't , '' read one post . Another post promised to offer `` details about the plan as soon as we know . '' `` For now , get some rest . It will be a big afternoon ! '' On Wednesday , a judge ruled