By Jenny Suo
Auckland police and security guards attempted to shut down four occupy protest camps across the city today.
Three protesters were arrested after clashing with officials who forcibly removed tents, and three police officers are being investigated for wearing the same ID numbers.
Security guards were packing up camping gear and putting it into a van at Aotea Square, but two protesters wouldn't let their equipment go.
One woman, 'Lyn', was one of three people arrested. She was later released, but with battle wounds to show for her struggle with police.
"It's illegal for security guards to take away people's property," she told 3 News. "It was people's property and they were just piling it into a van, and I said, 'You just can't do this.'"
Auckland Council says it was enforcing bylaws which ban freedom camping
The occupiers say the removal of their property is theft and they're worried they wont get it back.
"It's a question of trust and after what I saw, it's not possible to trust the police," says 'Lana'.
It's a trust that was even shakier after occupiers clamed three officers were wearing the same badge numbers. They now face an employment investigation.
The resistance lasted more than three hours before security guards headed to another camp in Victoria Park where they cleared all but three tents.
But the drama continued in Aotea Square this evening when the council tried to put up fences so that it could start fixing the grass that's been ruined by tents.
Protesters attempted to stop the fences going up.
One protester, 'Morgan', told 3 News: "I don't feel comfortable being caged up. We're not animals, we're human beings."
So a hard core group of protesters remains in the square tonight, where they've enjoyed a minor victory after the council gave up erecting the remaining fencing
But with the council and police determined to remove the remaining occupiers, they have a real fight on their hands to stay.
3 News