The city, says Krewson spokesman Jacob Long, has decided to treat the homeless encampments along Market Street differently than some of the other ones in the city.

“It’s more of a pop-up tent encampment that popped up in the past few days,” Long said. “They are occupying a city park and the curfew rules apply to them.”

Long says city officials have made several attempts to try to get the people living in the two encampments to go to shelters. He doesn’t deny that the Thursday morning event was an attempt to clear the park but says it “was largely peaceful.” He said he didn’t know who ordered the camp cleared.

Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards didn’t return a call seeking comment. A police spokeswoman said that officers were there at the request of the parks and recreation department, not in an enforcement capacity but to keep the peace.

“We have been trying to make the case that we can get them into a bed, and we wish they would take us up on that,” Long says.

On Wednesday, Alex Cohen, an outreach volunteer who regularly brings food and water and other supplies to the encampments, happened by the one at Tucker Boulevard and Market Street when he saw a police officer talking to some of the people there.