Occupy Providence packing up Sunday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Occupy Providence members spent Sunday cleaning up Burnside Park and moving out.

Last week, when city leaders agreed to open a day shelter for the city's homeless population, Occupy Providence protestors declared victory over the city.

The shelter will be run by the Diocese of Providence, staffed by four people and will have room for 100 homeless individuals.  There are even computers on-site to enable job searches.

Sunday in Burnside Park, bags of trash were stacked up, wooden pallets were being collected in piles, and tents were coming down.

Members told Eyewitness News that the overnight portion of the encampment was over but that the group might still rally there to continue their mission.  Many had been there for the full 100 days; one protestor said he'd left one of his two jobs to be a part of the protest and said it had been worth it.

"It's changed my life," he said.  "We're a family now."

But he expected at least some of the protestors to go back to their homes and regular jobs.