UPDATE: Boston PD beat and arrested the Vets for Peace who tried to protect the protesters. Mass arrests made, tents and sleeping bags thrown into waiting garbage trucks.

After a massive march through downtown Boston today, the Occupy Boston site predicted trouble tonight and it looks like they were right:

Police are gathering in mass to remove Occupy Boston campers from the North Camp expansion and possibly from the Main Camp tonight at midnight, by force if necessary. We are calling for all able-bodied volunteers to come lock arms with us in solidarity and defend this Occupation from any police presence that may arrive.

IF YOU LIVE IN BOSTON: The mayor's line needs to hear from you - be ready with the street name of "your" Boston address: 617.635.4500 ... When you get the recording hold or press "0".

Via Twitter, @OccupyBoston reports that protestors have locked arms to protect the camp. Close to midnight, they tweeted:

We overheard the police are telling reporters to leave the inside of the camp - that it's not safe. We have reports that the riot police are continuing to assemble and have batons. Swat team putting on riot gear on High St. Join us now!

Later:

Cops in riot gear with lots of plastic cuffs ready to use staging on High St.

@ProtestChaplain has an ominous report:

city EMTs have set up a tent for dealing with the aftermath.

Veterans for Peace are saying they will place themselves between the police and the protesters.

The Boston Police department delivered a statement to be read in the main camp, saying they intend to clear the camp on unlawful assembly grounds.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, #OccupyAtlanta protesters at Woodruff Park refusing to leave after being told to go by Atlanta police. Earlier today, Occupy Atlanta released this statement:

Participants in Occupy Atlanta met with Chief Turner and his staff today and were warned that the police intended to enforce the city ordinances against camping and against being in the park after 11 pm.

.

Here in the "city too busy to hate," the city where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born, attended college, and preached, we come to speak our own dreams. We believe that the American political process is so corrupted by the influx of lobbyists, "free speech" corporate cash, and politicians beholden to both that it has failed us completely. Our only option left is to occupy public spaces in order to assert our right to freely assemble and to redress our grievances, rights guaranteed to us by the First Amendment. Exerting that right has ironically become an act of civil disobedience, a fact which points out exactly what the problem really is. We owe no obedience to laws which abridge our Constitutional rights. We need as many people to come down to Woodruff Park ASAP!

To hell with that Constitution thingie. Everyone knows it's only for gun-toting right wingers.

UPDATE: From their posts on Facebook, it appears the protesters in St. Louis may be asked to take their tents down at Kiener Plaza tonight.