Richard Lesko and CBS6 Web Staff Senior Producer

1:51 p.m. EDT, October 31, 2011

RICHMOND, VA (WTVR-TV) - Police cleared out the public park in downtown Richmond where members of Occupy Richmond were camped since October 15.

At 1 a.m., Halloween morning, police on foot and on horseback told Occupy Richmond demonstrators to leave Kanawha Plaza. Demonstrators think it was an early morning trick they were treated to.

Less than an hour later police went into the park and arrested a handful of people who refused to leave.

Gene Lepley, spokesperson for the Richmond Police Department said that nine arrests were made, and five of those have received summons. Four were taken into custody.

Despite occupying the park illegally, demonstrators said they weren't given enough time to collect stuff--and not as much as they were officially told they  would have. 

"They come here unannounced to come and raid the camp, just saying we have a few hours just move everywhere we have which is quite a lot," said one demonstrator. “Then once we start moving it out and after we’re getting a good bunch of it out they kick out and start arresting people.”

Bulldozers were deployed to scoop up the assorted tents, signs, and debris left behind into dump trucks.The operation took more than four hours.

After that work was completed, Kanawha Plaza was closed off with fences.

A city spokesperson sent out a release that said Kanawha Plaza Park would be closed to the public "today" while the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities inspects and cleans the park.

“We started occupying with high hopes, and, unfortunately, this is what it came down to,” said one demonstrator.

Some members of the protest are standing nearby saying they will return to the park later this morning.

“Whether it be Kanahwa Plaza, whether it be on VCU’s campus, whether it be on the sidewalks where we are now,” said another protestor, “occupy doesn’t have to be in a set location. The location of this doesn’t matter; it’s all in the heart.”

Almost two weeks after the camp-out began, Mayor Dwight Jones met with Occupy Richmond demonstrators. He stressed the importance of following city laws which prohibit people from camping out in the park.

"As Mayor of this city, I'm going to have to ensure that the laws of the city are enforced," Mayor Jones said last Thursday.

The Mayor also told the group that day that he would send representatives from the city to meet with several members of this group--although he didn't say when.

Occupy Richmond announced today on their website that they will meet at 2 p.m. at Monroe Park, and march back down to Kanawha Plaza.

Refresh this page and watch CBS 6 News for updates.