Dozens of by-law and police officers stepped in around 11:30 on Monday night to enforce Calgary's plans to shut down the Occupy camp at Olympic Plaza.

After weeks of protesting, most of the tents were packed up and loaded into the back of a truck to be taken away.

A total of 32 tents and other structures were removed from Olympic Plaza on Monday night and 20 tickets were issued for failing to comply with the Parks and Pathways bylaw.

The tickets do incur a mandatory court appearance at which point a judge will determine a penalty.

There are currently eight tents remaining in the park whose occupants all refused to leave.

Ticket enforcement and tent removal follows 24 hour warnings issued on November 15.

The City of Calgary had made repeated attempts to negotiate with the Occupy protesters since the camp went up on October 15.

Among the actions the city undertook:

  • Providing a location at which to camp (St. Patrick's Island) and supplying basic amenities (a fire ring and portable sanitation units). The members occupying St. Patrick's Island were in large part homeless and have since been assisted through efforts of the Calgary Homeless Foundation and other agencies.
  • Attempting to accommodate the hygienic needs of protesters in Olympic Plaza by keeping the washrooms open 24 hours.
  • Most recently, The City has offered to provide a public space at which a forum for dialogue could continue. This offer has been declined by the Occupy Calgary protesters, who have stated publically that they have no intention of leaving Olympic Plaza and instead asked The City to provide power.

A few still living in the tents in the park were given tickets.

Now the next step for officials and protesters alike is court.

Bill Bruce says the city will be seeking a court injunction to remove the rest of the protesters from the area.

He also says that if protesters attempt to set up camp again, they'll be ticketed.

The ticketing is part of the enforcement policy to ensure the parks are accessible to all Calgarians.

Meanwhile, Occupy protesters are saying they will stay, insisting the protest is far from over.

The weather is expected to be fair for the next few days so many are not concerned about the elements.

They say they'll replace the tents that were taken down or remain huddled in the few tents that remain on site.

Many arrived at Olympic Plaza on Tuesday morning in hysterics over their tent and belongings being taken.

One woman who says she is pregnant said that everything she owned was in the tent. "My son died. I have nothing left of him, nothing."

Chris McMillan, with the protest says they'll stand up and have a group hug. "We'll dust ourselves off, and stand in solidarity with one another and go from there."

Bylaw officials do say that protesters will be able to recover their belongings, but it will take time and they will be required to pay a fee.

However, the core protest insists that the cause is too important for them to leave the park.