Occupy Pittsburgh protesters facing noon deadline


February 6, 2012 at 8:33a.m.

Occupy Pittsburgh protesters facing noon deadline

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Occupy Pittsburgh protesters are up against the clock as many tear down their tents and prepared to leave private property owned by Bank of New York Mellon Corp. downtown.

A court order issued last week gives the protesters until noon today to leave the Mellon Green. And while many protesters have been packing up over the weekend, others suggested they may stay and seek to be forcibly removed in a final act of civil disobedience.

Overnight, some protesters also erected what they call “the ark” from a pile of wooden shipping palates that many had used to keep their tents off the ground.

The purpose of the makeshift sculpture isn’t clear, but the only animals seen entering or leaving the are two-by-two have been rats, apparently drawn to the normally pristine parklet by food and waste.