11 Occupy protesters arrested in San Diego, Orlando

Police extended moves aimed at keeping anti-Wall street protesters from camping on Monday, arresting 11 people in Orlando and San Diego after a weekend clampdown in cities on both the East and West coasts netted scores of arrests.

Police in San Diego arrested nine Occupy protesters at that city's Civic Center Plaza where several tried to set up tents, police spokesman Gary Hassen said. Most were charged with illegal lodging for setting up camp at the public concourse.

Demonstrators in Orlando, where an eviction order went into effect at midnight, said two people were arrested for trespassing at a park where protesters had been camped. The arrests came after about 30 protesters singing Christmas carols marched to Mayor Buddy Dyer's home late on Sunday to protest the eviction notice.

Protesters who have been demanding economic justice for average Americans who they say suffer while the government bailed out Wall Street firms have seen protest camps cleared in recent weeks as cities lose patience with the encampments.

In several cities, officials have cited dangerous health and safety conditions and the cost of added policing and other security measures in a time of tight budgets.

U.S. Park Police arrested 31 people in a downtown Washington park on Sunday, spokesman Sergeant David Schlosser said, after protesters put up a wooden structure authorities declared unsafe.

Demonstrators had started to assemble the structure for shelter during the winter.

PRIVATE DANCE PARTY

In Oregon, Portland police arrested 19 people at the weekend who were trying to occupy a downtown park. One man was charged with criminal mischief and trespassing for climbing onto the roof of City Hall.

In a Tweet on Sunday, Portland Mayor Sam Adams said: This felt like a private dance party in a public space.

But Adams said he would start taking up issues locally that have been defined by Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Portland demonstrators said on Monday they would protest bank residential lending practices and rally in support of those arrested.

About 100 Occupy protesters face possible eviction from their encampment at Seattle Central Community College, after a judge last week ruled such a displacement can go forward.

Seattle police arrested 16 demonstrators who broke into an empty building near the college early on Saturday, police said.

Campus officials have not posted an eviction notice, but they were scheduled to meet with demonstrators on Tuesday, college spokeswoman Patricia Paquette said.

In Denver, a handful of protesters camped across from the state Capitol, braving freezing temperatures and snow. Police last month dismantled tents at the site and protesters have been camped on the sidewalk in sleeping bags and bedrolls.

Attorneys for Occupy protesters went to federal court in Denver on Monday to argue police have infringed on their free speech rights by selectively using city ordinances to restrict their activities.

DEATH IN TEXAS

A vigil was planned on Monday for Darwin Cox, 23, who was found dead over the weekend at the Occupy Denton camp at the University of North Texas campus, a statement from the university president said.

The cause of death was unclear but there was no evidence of foul play, it said.

In Los Angeles, about 200 protesters were expected to attend a rally at City Hall, where last week police arrested nearly 300 demonstrators when they dismantled an Occupy camp.

Rally organizer Good Jobs LA, a non-profit group, was calling on Los Angeles to evaluate banks that do business with the city on such issues as community investment, said Jacob Hay, a spokesman for the group.

Occupy San Francisco protesters were deadlocked on how to respond to an offer from Mayor Ed Lee for a new site. The group has been camped at a downtown plaza in about 100 tents.

The Occupy movement began in a Manhattan park in New York, but protesters were cleared from that site two weeks ago.