Protesters with the Occupy Anchorage movement said mall security detained two people after the group threw fake, dirt-stained money at a Wells Fargo Bank branch. Protesters wearing white hazardous materials suits attempted to sweep up the money before security guards ordered them out of the mall, said Carl Wassilie, part of the group.
"We were just doing a peaceful demonstration there inside the mall," Wassilie said. "They asked us to leave, and we were leaving, and they grabbed a couple people."
Citations were issued to members of the protest group, but the arrest was for an outstanding warrant, said police spokeswoman Marlene Lammers. Lammers described the event as "a large disturbance."
Wassilie said a group of about 40 protesters marched into the mall, a few carrying signs. Others had donned the white hazmat suits, and someone unfurled a banner over the Wells Fargo sign, he said. Someone else dumped the "dirty money" in front of the bank, Wassilie said.
People started chanting, "The banks got bailed out, what about us," and other mall-goers joined, Wassilie said. "It ended up being pretty loud in there," he said.
The security guards arrived, blocked the bank entrance and told the protesters to leave, Wassilie said.
"We wanted to clean up the dirty money, and they started pushing people and telling them to get out," he said.
A janitor ended up sweeping up the money, said Josh Tucker, another protester. "He was saying, 'I wish I didn't have to throw this out, so I could give it to my kid,' " Tucker said.
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