AUSTIN -- When police started clearing the Austin City Hall plaza area Thursday night for powerwashing, it was a significantly bigger crowd than the few dozen protestors usually seen throughout the day.
Most protestors moved out for the cleaning, five of them did not.
Police charged James Hill O'Bbrien with Criminal Trespassing when he refused to unchain himself from a tree in front of City Hall. Joining him at the tree, Caitlin Austin, Dylan Mejia, Douglas Reeves, and Elwin Duhon were also arrested.
A YouTube video captures the early moments of the incident. O'Brien sits on the ground listening to his options from Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo. Police say soon after the exchange, firefighters were called to cut the chain allowing police to make the arrests.
Witnesses asked the reason behind the tree chaining responded with more than one answer.
"[It was] in protest against the powerwashing and stuff like that," said protestor Jim Ecklery.
"This was just a dedicated, patriotic person who feels that in his heart that his First Amendment rights were infringed upon," said Occupy spokesperon Carl Lindemann.
The First Amendment rights Lindemann refers to are a prior criminal respassing charge against O'Brien banning him from the area without a conviction.
In addition to the five trespassing arrests, police also made a sixth. Thursday night Occupy Austin member Frank McKay was arrested for public intoxication.
