Courthouse plaza cordoned off after Occupy Eugene vacates

EUGENE, Ore. - A day after Occupy Eugene campers left the old federal courthouse downtown, the space the camp occupied was fenced off, empty and ringed by uniformed officers.

The Occupy camp's permit to be in the plaza expired Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Everyone left before the deadline except Emily Semple, who told KVAL News she didn't leave to stand up for what she said were her First Amendment rights to protest there around the clock.

Police cited and released her for refusing to comply with police orders to vacate the plaza.

On Thursday, the area was closed off by a fence and yellow caution tape. More than a half dozen uniformed officers were there, too, but no one from Occupy had returned to the site.