Around two dozen more Occupy Sacramento protesters were arrested this morning in Sacramento for refusing to leave Cesar Chavez Plaza.

Occupy supporters had signaled their intention to stay after the city's 11 p.m. curfew for the park across from City Hall. On Wednesday they announced that they planned to stage a "First Amendment party" after the city's 11 p.m. park curfew.

Occupy said this morning in a press release that 23 supporters were arrested around 2:30 a.m. Sacramento police put the number arrested at 21.

The city has made about 110 arrests seeking to enforce the curfew since the Occupy Sacramento protests began Oct. 6.

About 50 Occupy Sacramento protesters chanted "Whose park? Our park" in Cesar Chavez Plaza after the city's 11 p.m. curfew Wednesday.

"We are making a point of exercising our rights," said Sean Laney, a Sacramento protester. "It's about time for people to stand up for the rights they do have before they wake up and find they have no rights."

Activist Cindy Sheehan joined protesters Wednesday.

Sgt. Andrew Pettit, a spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department, said Wednesday night the department will continue to enforce the park curfew but was confident officers could handle it without violence.

"If they decide to stay, we'll well have to enforce those city codes," Pettit said.

Lawyers supporting the effort have filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the First Amendment rights of free speech and free assembly do not expire at 11 p.m.

The city rejects that argument.

Experts disagree on whether sparring over the park curfew is the best way to bring attention to the seemingly primary issue of wealth disparity.

"I think a lot of Californians are still at a loss for what the local Occupy folks stand for," said Roger Salazar, a local Democratic consultant.

GOP consultant Jeff Flint said free speech is something everyone can support.

"I think voters feel like the right to protest is pretty fundamental, even if they don't agree with (what they are saying)," Flint said. "If you're a constitutional purist, then you have to respect your political opponents' First Amendment rights."

California State University, Sacramento, professor Ed Inch sees the First Amendment issue as a carrot for the media. What the protesters really want is to reignite their movement, said Inch, dean of the college of art and letters at CSUS.

He even suggested a small group of protesters might try to provoke the police into taking disproportionate action.

"I think they are looking for something that will pull people together that demonstrates that they are in the right and they are the downtrodden," Inch said.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Bee staff writer Ed Fletcher contributed to this report.

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