Police in Des Moines Take Different Approach than Iowa City, Arrest 'Occupy Wall Street' Protesters

Unlike in Iowa City, Police clamped down with arrests as Occupy Wall Street spread to Des Moines on Sunday.

Some 400 protestors had gathered earlier in the day on the Statehouse lawn, but by the end of the night dozens were reportedly hauled off for not having a permit and thus violating a 11 p.m. curfew.

Reports vary as to how many people were arrested. Radio Iowa reports three dozen people were arrested for trespassing, while the group Occupy Iowa pegged it at 20-40 people on it's Twitter feed. Several outlets are reporting former State Rep. Ed Fallon, who once ran as a Democrat for Iowa governor, was among those arrested.

Iowa Politics reported on its Twitter feed that protestors chanted, "The world is watching," while being hauled off in handcuffs. 

The response is far different than in said they would not interfere with the occupation of , which began on Friday, so long as there weren't problems. Thus far there have not been.

The reaction in Des Moines raises the question of how efforts will be treated in other Iowa cities where occupations are being planned, including Dubuque, Fairfield and Ames.

There is an Occupy ISU meeting scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13 in front of Campanile and Beardshear Hall in Ames.

The groups are organizing in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York. The leaderless movement is protesting greed and corruption and the influence corporations have on government.