MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee's police chief is getting national attention for the way he handled Occupy protesters when they closed down a bridge Thursday night.
He said the protesters wanted to be arrested and were disappointed when they weren't.
When 150 Occupy protesters moved onto the North Avenue bridge over Interstate 43, Flynn decided he had two choices: spend hours arresting them all or the one he settled on.
"Since there was no compelling public safety interest, I decided that the quickest way to clear the bridge was to remove the element of drama the protesters craved. That meant us. So, we left," Flynn said.
The protesters left within an hour, and only five were arrested.
A poll this week shows growing national opposition to the Occupy movement. The Public Policy Polling survey of voters a month ago showed 36 percent opposed to the movement and 35 percent supportive. Opposition has grown to 45 percent with supporters shrinking to 33 percent.
Flynn told 12 News on Friday that he chose to pull back after seeing protests in other cities turn violent.
"What we're beginning to see around the country is a subset of demonstrators who feel the only way to further their cause is to create a confrontation with police," Flynn said.
Primitivo Torres of Voces de la Frontera, who helped organize Thursday night's occupation said they were willing to be arrested, to prove how serious they are, and he said support here is growing.
"Here in Milwaukee, it's gaining more momentum. Across the nation we see some downfall, (but) the demands are more clear now, where in the beginning people were just mad and wanted to protest, and now it's becoming more synchronized," Torres said.
Flynn made it clear Friday that in a different circumstance, where the protesters created a public safety risk, he would absolutely arrest them.
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