The remaining homeless protestors camped in front of Portland's City Hall were cleared out by police Thursday morning, whether they wanted to leave or not.

The protest has continued nonstop for about three weeks. Sgt. Brian Schmautz with the Portland Police Bureau said the protestors were cleared off the sidewalk Thursday so it could be power-washed.

"Once the sidewalk reopens, individuals will once again be allowed to walk or protest on the sidewalk in front of at City Hall. Police will enforce all applicable laws related to camping and sleeping on the sidewalk," Schmautz said.

Representatives from the protest group recently told KGW they had decided to leave on their own accord after a Tuesday afternoon meeting with Mayor Tom Potter.

 Background: Mayor warns protestors

But they were not all gone on Thursday morning.

One protestor was arrested about an hour after police cleared the sidewalk. Schmautz said Andren Newman, 20, was taken into custody because he refused to get out of the street. He shouted profanities as officers cuffed him and some of the other protestors also screamed for police to release him. Newman was charged with interfering with a police officer.

All the other remaining protestors calmly left the area or simply moved across the street. Some told KGW they planned to return to the City Hall sidewalk once police leave.

 Comment: Time for homeless to leave?

"They didn't have to send forty cops in to body check us and send us out into rush hour, morning traffic," said Wesley Flowers, a homeless protester. Officers said they had given the group more than enough time to gather their things and leave the sidewalk so it could be cleaned.

Flowers said, "When the police came through and swept, to be honest with you, if they would have just sent two cops in to say 'hey guys, Clean and Safe is going to come in for their two week spray down of the streets,' we would have gotten up and moved."

It became a stand-off of sorts. On one side of the street the protesters yelled at police. On the other, officers stood on the sidewalk making sure no one came through. "We're not going anywhere because our demands have not been met," said Flowers.

"I'm sure their perception is that we are the bad guys, but we're simply doing our job," said Lt. Lee.