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Police arrest. • . . activists PARK Continued from Page 1C noisy, said they kept a clean camp size of the group there earlier, Brett and claimed that police "harassed said. All but a half -dozen activists at park an intimidated" them. left willingly, he said. Lt. Tom Brett, who commands No one was injured during the the city's police sector that includes sweep Wednesday, and police didn't the park, said police had a responsi- have to use tear gas or other weap- • Scobert: Five adults bility to respond before the situation ons to clear the group, Brett said. got out of hand. The activists who remained were and a boy , 13, are Twenty officers on overtime ap- arrested on municipal charges of vi- hauled away for proached the park at 1:30 a.m. in olating park rules. Additionally, one Y what Brett called "field force" gear, man was charged with illegally ob- refusing to leave. which includes helmets with face taining the contents of a conversa- shields and side - handle batons. tion for attempting to secretly tape - Such gear is used when police be- record his arrest. Secret recordings By JANELLE HARTMAN lieve there is a potential for a violent are barred under Oregon law. The Register -Guard confrontation, Brett said. The adults spent the night in the Noisy activists camping in Scob- "A field force -level response is a Lane County Jail, and the 13 -year- ert Park were met by 20 Eugene po- tactical option you use when you're old boy was lodged in the Skipworth lice officers early Wednesday who dealing with an unpredictable situa- Juvenile Detention Facility. All of warned protesters to leave, then ar- tion," he said. "You absolutely want the protesters were released rested five adults and a 13- year -old to minimize the potential for injury Wednesday. boy who refused. to anyone." The park was quiet during the The 1:30 a action came after Eighteen to 20 people were there day Wednesday, with no organized dozens of complaint calls throughout when police arrived, about half the protest. the day and night Tuesday to police and city officials from neighbors near the troubled 1 -acre west Eu- gene park, authorities said. The park has been plagued by vandalism, littering, public drunken- ness and drug activity — one neigh- bor said a 3- year -old child recently stepped on a hypodermic needle there. The park was scheduled to shut down for three months begin- ning last Monday. The closure was intended in part to give the park's unusual and sensi- tive plants, long used as toilets by transients, time to heal from abuse. But the closure order was lifted Tuesday for one week after protest- ers moved " in, saying they were trying to call attention to issues of homelessness. City officials said the postpone- ment would give neighbors who signed petitions seeking to close the park and opponents time to meet and pursue other options. In the meantime, authorities warned activists that they still could be arrested if they set up camps in the park, used alcohol there or stayed past 11 p.m. — all violations under the city's park rules ordi- nance. An estimated 30 to 40 activists were in the park late Tuesday, prompting calls to police. "They were causing a lot of noise, chanting and drumming and other things well after midnight," said Doug Ebbitt, who lives next to the park, near the intersection of Blair Boulevard and Fourth Avenue. Activists, who sent out two news releases Wednesday, denied being