Allegheny County Sheriff's deputies moved into the small greenspace near BNY Mellon's downtown office this morning around 5:00 AM to make sure all of the Occupy Pittsburgh protesters were gone. Sheriff Bill Mullen said all the deputies found was trash and rats.
A bomb-sniffing dog was brought in to check out the tents and wooden structures left behind by the protesters. Nothing was found and crews hired by BNY Mellon quickly erected a fence round the park.
Members of the Occupy Pittsburgh Movement left the Mellon Green Wednesday night. The group had occupied the space it re-named the "People's Park" since October 15. The decision to leave came three days after Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Christine Ward's deadline for eviction.
"It's become apparent that the Allegheny County Sheriff's Department is not coming," said Occupy Pittsburgh in a written statement. "BNY Mellon has not been able to force our elected Sheriff, William P. Mullen, to disavow himself from his role to protect democracy and suppress the free speech rights of Occupy Pittsburgh. We know that Sheriff Mullen does this at risk of being in contempt of court, and we appreciate and applaud his informed judgment and willingness to stand up for the rights of his constituents."
Members of the Group say they will continue to be active and will continue their fight for "the 99 percent."