Dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested in Lower Manhattan's financial district in New York City late Saturday night during clashes with police on the movement's six-month anniversary.

Police swept Zucotti park and arrested 74 people after they refused to leave at 11:30 p.m., according to the New York Times.

The New York Police Department said charges included trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. On their website, Occupy Wall Street said peaceful protesters were brutalized and beaten by cops.

The Occupy protests had largely quieted down over the winter. Police drove out most of the people camping out in the park in mid-November, citing sanitary and safety concerns.

The warm weather, however, has encouraged protesters to return and attempt to re-occupy the park, which is privately owned but available for public use.

The Occupy Wall Street movement sparked a national dialogue about unemployment, the huge wealth gap, corporate greed and other issues when it first began in September.

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