Occupy Boston protesters arraigned in court; most sentenced to one year of probation

12/13/2011 4:03 PM

By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff

More than 20 Occupy Boston protesters appeared in a Boston courtroom today to face trespassing and resisting arrest charges filed when police moved in early Saturday morning and evicted them from their Dewey Square encampment.

During the police action, which brought a peaceful end to the 72-day occupation of a slice of the Greenway by Occupy Boston, demonstrators linked their arms in an effort to slow their removal by police.

Suffolk County prosecutors dropped the resisting arrest charges for most of the protesters, provided they agreed to plead guilty to trespassing and be sentenced to one year of probation.

Many of the defendants were also ordered to stay away from Dewey Square in order to end the criminal cases against them. All were released on personal recognizance.

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