Occupy Atlanta protestors shouted down Mayor Kasim Reed's spokeswoman, Sonji Jacobs.
ATLANTA -- Both Atlanta police and the Occupy protesters have significantly stepped up their presence at Woodruff Park Saturday night.
Occupy protesters have increased their presence through Twitter, telling Twitter followers that police may move in on them.
Atlanta city officials shut down a hip hop festival earlier Saturday, sparking the tensions. According to city officials, festival organizers never filed a security plan or paid the $2,500 outdoor festival permit fee.
"The security coordinator pulled out because he did not want to deal with Occupy Atlanta," said festival organizer Amir James.
Yet, no one told dozens of vendors who arrived early on Saturday to set up their booths.
Occupy Atlanta protestors shouted down Sonji Jacobs, Mayor Kasim Reed's spokeswoman, during the middle of an interview at Woodruff Park on Saturday.
"Whose park? Our park," the crowd shouted as Jacobs tried to answer questions from reporters about the city's decision to revoke the permit for the Atlanta Hip Hop Festival.
"So what happens to the vendors who paid money for the booths they can't set up now?" 11Alive's Jennifer Leslie asked festival organizer Arall Charles.
"The vending was supposed to show mobilization of the small people, the 99 percent," Charles said. He later promised that he would begin giving vendors refunds on Monday morning.
With no city permit, leaders of Occupy Atlanta tried to take over the event by telling vendors to set up, anyway.
"But y'all don't have a permit," one of the vendors shouted.
"We have an executive order for the whole park," said Tim Franzen of Occupy Atlanta. "We do whatever we want."
But when Jacobs had a chance to talk, she had a different take.
"The executive order of Mayor Reed does not allow festivals," Jacobs said. "Occupy Atlanta may be well-intentioned, but they don't have the authority to do so."
By mid-afternoon, most of the vendors had left. The city declared the festival canceled. A larger group of police remained in the park into Saturday night.
The City of Atlanta has also removed its portable restrooms from Woodruff Park on Saturday, which could be a sign of reduced cooperation on the part of city officials and the Mayor's Office.