​Phoenix police were forced to use pepper-spray on a group of demonstrators protesting the American Legislative Exchange Council at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in northeast Phoenix this afternoon when the activists raised a little hell in front of the resort.

In at least one instance, a protester attacked police -- who were decked-out in full riot gear -- with a pole that had nails and screws sticking out of it.

Many of the protesters are part of the "Occupy Phoenix" movement that's (sort of) been going on in downtown Phoenix for nearly two months.

The "occupiers," however, were relatively well behaved, sources who were at the protest tell New Times. Some of their friends, on the other hand, were the main cause of the disturbance.

"Unfortunately a few Anarchist have joined the occupied movement and crowds tried to push their way through the police line on to the resort property," Phoenix Sergeant Trent Crump says. "OC spray was deployed twice on aggressive groups, which was effective in stopping their actions."

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​There's good news for Wall Street -- the "occupiers" who have been protesting corporate greed (or whatever it is they're protesting) for the past several months have a new target for their rage: Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

That, of course, is according to the sheriff's bloated ego.

"The 'Occupy Wall Street' movement has turned from a wave of anger towards Wall Street [to a movement] against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio," the sheriff's PR folks say in a press release that just screams "look at me, look at me!"

Arpaio's been trying to cash in on the ink the "occupy" folks have been getting since the demonstration in Phoenix began in October.

For example, earlier this month, Arpaio issued a press release announcing that he wouldn't be giving the "occupiers" additional publicity. Just to clarify, the sheriff issued a press release to announce he wouldn't be giving the "occupiers" additional publicity. More on that here.

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Image: www.occupytucson.org

Police raided and cleared out Occupy Tucson's Armory Park tent city on November 3rd.

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Protesters under the "Occupy Tucson" banner have turned to federal court to prevent getting kicked out of another city park.

Dozens of occupiers settled into Tucson's Veinte De Agosto Park after police rousted them out of Armory Park on November 3rd, but police have been ticketing them at the new park, too.

They want a restraining order to prevent another eviction, and maintain that they have a right to "24/7" free speech at the park, despite the park's official closing time of 10:30 p.m.

"The Constitution never sleeps and there is no closing time for the First Amendment. Political speech is available to all citizens no matter when you want to express yourself 24/7," says Guy Keenan, a volunteer attorney quoted on Occupy Tucson's Web site. Attorney Paul Gattone is also helping out the group.

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Interesting headline...for a PRESS RELEASE!

​Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio issued a press release this afternoon stating that his office will not give "Occupy Phoenix" protesters additional publicity.

That's right -- a press release to announce he doesn't want to help publicize the "Occupy Phoenix" demonstration.

We'll pause for laughter.

Thinking this could have possibly been a mistake -- and not just the sheriff's most recent act of perverse media slutiness -- we sent MCSO spokesman Justin Griffin an e-mail asking the following: "You realize you issued a press release about not wanting to give Occupy Phoenix protesters any publicity, right?"

We haven't heard back.

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James King

Fliers explaining when it's OK to kill a cop were found about 100 yards from where we took this photo of these two gun-toting "occupiers." However, authorities say there's nothing to suggest that "occupiers" wrote the fliers.

​Department of Public Safety officials confirm to New Times that a stack of fliers was found at the "Occupy Phoenix" demonstration at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Phoenix yesterday. The fliers basically explain when it's OK to shoot a cop, hence the title of the document: "When Should You Shoot a Cop."

Don't go blaming the anti-establishment "occupiers" just yet, though -- DPS spokesman Bart Graves says it's currently unclear who's responsible for the fliers.

"At ths point we don't see any connection between the fliers and Occupy Phoenix," Graves tells New Times.

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James King

City taxpayers have shelled out over $200,000 so this chick can walk carry a sign calling Jan Brewer a "lying whore."

​The occupation of downtown Phoenix may not have shut down Wall Street (shocking, we know), but it's definitely putting a burden on city resources -- to the tune of more than $200,000.

Phoenix police tell New Times that since the "Occupy Phoenix" demonstration began at Cesar Chavez Plaza on October 15, the protest has cost the city about $204,000.

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www.carlolfe.com

​Tucson's "occupiers" can straight-up occupy.

According to the Tucson Police Department, 20 arrests were made yesterday during the "Occupy Tucson" demonstrations at two different parks in the city.

The 20 arrests make a grand total of 351 arrests since the "Occupy Tucson" demonstration began October 15, Tucson Sergeant Maria Hawk tells New Times.

Of the 20 arrests made yesterday, 12 were at Armory Park. An additional eight "occupiers" were arrested at Veinte de Agosto Park.

According to Hawk, 351 arrests doesn't necessarily mean 351 different people were arrested. She says several people have been arrested multiple times -- if they're arrested at one park, upon their release from custody, they'll often go to another park and get arrested again.

(Ahem) Brilliant.

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James King

Apparently, a "99-percenter" who goes by the name "Haight Ashbury" is responsible for the above protest sign calling Governor Jan Brewer a "lying whore" with Alzheimer's.

​In our account of the "Occupy Phoenix" demonstration in downtown Phoenix earlier this month, we used the above image of an "occupier" holding a sign stating that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is a "lying whore" who has Alzheimer's disease.

In our post about the rally, we suggested that calling someone a "lying whore" might not be the best way to go about spreading a message if that message is to be taken seriously by non-radicals.

Since our story was published, the sign's creator, a "99-percenter" who goes by the name "Haight Ashbury," sent us an email explaining why Jan Brewer is a "lying whore" with Alzheimer's.

"Ashbury's" issue with Governor Glug-Glug isn't that she literally sells her body for sex (good luck getting that image out of your head), rather that she's a "common whore" for selling out to "corporate Ameri-ka."

See "Ashbury's" complete email (all sic) below.

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James King

(Crickets...)

​It's day six of the "Occupy Phoenix" demonstration in Cesar Chavez Plaza, and there are now officially more protest signs than there are actual protesters.

We dropped by this afternoon to see how the occupation was going -- we weren't shocked to find the crowd dwindled from about 1,000 when the occupation began Saturday to roughly 16 this afternoon.

How long do they plan to "occupy" downtown Phoenix?

"'Til ever," one female occupier tells New Times -- after screaming "they took my house, but I feed my kids. I'm a good mother" at a passing car.

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James King

​

Regardless of political affiliation, people across the country are pissed off about one thing or another, but there are only a few cities that -- as a whole -- are more pissed off than Phoenix, according to a recent ranking of pissed off cities.

The Daily Beast website has ranked Phoenix one of "America's 10 Angriest Cities" based on the number of protesters who showed up during the "Occupy Phoenix" demonstration and the  demonstrators who attended a 2009 Tea Party rally.

See our coverage of the "Occupy Phoenix" rally here.

Phoenix, according to the rankings, is the sixth angriest city in the country.

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