"It was a terrible experience," said longtime Stroger Hospital nurse Martese Chism, who said she didn't expect to spend an entire day in jail. Despite spending a night in a cold cell and having her mattress taken from her, Chism said she'd return for protests next weekend, if asked.



"The (nurses) were just one of the victims of last nights' assault on free speech," said Occupy Chicago protestor Natalie Wahlberg, 29, of Northwest Indiana. "We are supporting them, and they are supporting us."



Some of the more than 100 protesters who gathered for a meeting at Congress Plaza tonight marched to the Centrral District police station at South State Street and 18th Street, where they joined about 70 other protesters waiting for people who had been arrested to be released.



The crowd cheered and chanted, "Hero, hero," as protesters were released from jail in small groups throughout the night.



Susan Hurley, 36, who lives in Logan Square, said she was arrested around 1 a.m. but wasn't released until about 6 p.m.



"That's excessive for staying in a park for two hours longer than you're supposed to," Hurley said while standing outside the police station. "Folks have a right to set up a protest like they have in other cities, and people aren't going to quit until we do."



In a statement released this evening, police defended their practices and said they work diligently to "safeguard the constitutional rights of all persons."



"In any instance where individuals must be placed into custody for violation of the law, the Chicago Police Department processes arrestees without unreasonable or unnecessary delay and follows policies regarding booking, charging, and bonding out," police said.



But Christopher Pickett, 20, said he attended Saturday night's protest at Congress Plaza. He wasn't arrested, but he said he arrived at the police station around 3 a.m. to show support for those who were in custody.



Occupy Chicago won't be deterred by the arrests, Pickett said.



"It strengthens us," he said, keeping an eye on the door where protesters who had been arrested walked out after being released. "It makes us wiser. While they're in there, they're not just lying down. They're thinking of ways to make the movement better, like we did last week. We're trying to solidify our next move."



efmeyer@tribune.com



rhaggerty@tribune.com