Occupy L.A. protesters take to the streets; police warn of arrests

Just after midnight, a large crowd of Occupy L.A. protesters gathered in front of City Hall at the intersection of Spring and First streets.

Demonstrators held candles, beat on drums, waved signs as they moved onto the streets. "This ain't Mardi Gras!" one man shouted, as he attempted to usher people off the street.

LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith declined to give details about police strategy or tactics that would use to evict protestors. He said notices or citations would not be handed out, but rather that people would be arrested.

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"We will not discuss what our timetable is or what our tactics are," he said.

For now, Smith said the group appeared peaceful, but that after midnight they would be in violation of the law. Hundreds of people have been camped out at City Hall Park for the past seven weeks to protest what they see as economic injustice.

"We will be out here until they are done occupying," Smith said.

Meanwhile, protesters on the street continued to chant, "This is what democracy looks like!" and "Occupy Wall Street! Occupy Los Angeles! Occupy Everything! And never give it back."

But organizers encouraged protesters to move back to the park and not provoke the police.