Police Arrest Nine Occupy Coachella Valley Protesters

Nine Occupy Coachella Valley protesters -- including a 17-year-old girl and an Iraq War veteran -- camped out at Palm Desert's were arrested early Tuesday morning during a police crackdown.

More than two dozen Palm Desert police officers descended out of the darkness and onto the group, which has been illegally camped out at the park since Friday night when the city of Palm Desert refused to issue another permit.

Seven protesters, including a 17-year-old girl, were taken into custody near the park's western entrance at San Pablo Avenue just before 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1. About 10 other protesters stood nearby on a public sidewalk and chanted, "Shame on you."

Two more protesters trying to reenter the park were taken into custody at 1:45 a.m., according to Lt. Andrew Shouse of the Palm Desert Police Deparmtnet.

Earlier, one of the protesters, Mary Walker, 22, of Palm Desert, yelled for someone to grab her purse and tried to turn as an officer restrained her with black zip ties. She was pushed to the ground and taken into custody by three officers.

"Stop resisting. Put your hands behind your back," an officer told her as she lay face down in the grass. She was released early this morning along with the other protesters from the Indio Jail.

Others arrested included Salvador Reyes, 27, of Palm Desert, Jayel Aheram (Jack Lee Noftsger), 27, of Palm Desert, David Dustin Powell, 29, of Palm Springs, and Cory Tyler O'Neil, 23, of Palm Desert. A 17-year-old girl was also taken into custody and later released to her parents.

Most have been regulars at the park since the encampment .

Stephen Mark Finger, 58, of Palm Desert and Ryan Donald Cartwright, 21, of Palm Springs were arrested later in the night, according to Shouse.

All nine face a misdemeanor count of unlawful assembly, according to jail records.

Only Aheram, an Iraq War veteran, remained in the Indio Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail Tuesday morning.

The park has an 11 p.m. curfew and a city ordinance prohibits camping.

During the crackdown, officers also packed up tables, food, chairs, a tent and sleeping bags left behind by the protesters.

Lt. William Sullivan, who oversaw the operation, told Patch that an American flag taken down by officers at the camp was folded in proper "military style" by a veteran.

"We're not just targeting these people," Sullivan said, adding that officers conducted sweeps of the park and asked residents to leave after the park's 11 p.m. curfew on Friday and Saturday.

No injuries were reported, but about 10 protesters remained on a public sidewalk through the night. Three officers stood on the edge of the park, barring anyone from returning to the space.

On Friday, Sullivan was among three officers who the camp, but he did not say when they would be back to take anyone still in the park into custody.

The city initially gave the group a for four nights that allowed them to stay in the park, but the city refused to issue anymore starting Friday.

Police plan to continue to monitor protests in the park and "will arrest and prosecute individuals found violating the law to the fullest extent possible," according to Shouse.

was arrested just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the park.