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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ The 'Bushville' protest camp proved to be short-lived.
About 30 poor and homeless people who wanted to take their message to the Republican National Convention set up a makeshift campground Thursday afternoon on Harriet Island, within sight of the convention hall.
Some 60 to 70 police officers, some on bikes and some on foot, later surrounded the group, which had intended to remain in the park overnight despite a city ordinance that closes it at 11 p.m.
Around 8 p.m. officers started negotiating with them. By 11 p.m., police arrested the only two protesters who remained.
"It was a good exercise for us," said Senior Commander Joe Neuberger, adding that it was good training for what might happen next week during the convention, which opens Monday.
Arrested were Cheri Honkala, leader of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, and supporter Tim Dowlin of Philadelphia. Just before she was arrested, Honkala sat with an American flag across her lap.
"It's a sad day when you have this much money spent on police officers, and the poor only have their voice, and we can't allow that to be taken from us," she said.
Neuberger said the two would be cited for trespassing, a misdemeanor, and likely would be released.
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