Police in the northwestern U.S. city of Portland (Oregon) are demanding that hundreds of protesters linked to the "Occupy Wall Street" movement leave a central park or face the possibility of a forced eviction.
Video from the scene shows the park lined with clusters of police armed with nightsticks, prepared to take action. A city official expressed hope that a violent confrontation can be avoided. So far, only minor scuffling between police and protesters has been reported.
The protesters defied a midnight (3 a.m. EST) deadline to disperse, but so far no new deadline has been announced.
These protests in Portland are part of a loosely tied nationwide movement against corporate greed and economic inequality that began in New York City in September.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.