UPDATE 3:40 p.m.: The mayor’s office says we’ve got it wrong and that the impoundment today was done “pursuant to the provisions of the Stored Property Ordinance.”

The original post from Michael Levine in for Inside Honolulu: 

Breaking news today from the Occupy Honolulu encampment at Thomas Square.

Apparently sick of cat and mouse games, the city is using a law written to deal with bulky item trash pickup to evict the protestors from the sidewalk along Beretania Street without giving 24-notice required by the Stored Property Ordinance that had proven ineffective in clearing out the tents.

On a tip from a neighbor, I drove by shortly after 12 p.m. today and saw all the tents were gone and that the protestors were standing around.

One of the protestors shot video of the “raid.” Watch it here:

Video streaming by Ustream

Civil Beat reported previously that the city was frustrated with Occupy’s successful evasions of the law but said no new bills or ordinances were on the immediate horizon.

Read more: A Look at Honolulu’s Sidewalk Ban Six Months and at Least $100K Later

A police officer in the beginning of the video today explains that Section 9-1.6 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (he mistakenly refers to HRS) prohibits people from disturbing trash once its been put out for pickup. Basically, trash belongs to the city.

That’s an interesting reading of the law, since the Occupy tents and signs were quite obviously not left out with the intention that they be picked up as part of bulky item trash collection. They were kept in that space as a form of protest.

“The city seems to be intent on a courtroom showdown to resolve the legality of Bill 54 and its implementation,” protestor H. Doug Matsuoka wrote on his blog.