A dwindling number of protesters remained at Westlake Park on Thursday morning, less than a day after Seattle police and city parks staff swept through the park making arrests and forcing participants in the Occupy Seattle movement to take down their tents.

Protesters said that about 30 people spent the night in sleeping bags, in boxes lined with aluminum foil and in other makeshift shelters set up to replace the now-banned tents.

After eating a hot breakfast at the camp, people gathered in groups as musicians tuned their guitars and others played cards, shared cigarettes or talked about their strategy for the dawning day.

Dewey Potter, spokeswoman for Seattle Parks and Recreation, said Thursday morning that about 50 people remained in the park at late morning. She said that protesters have been told that they can seek a permit for a food tent and a first aid tent.

Parks staff remain monitoring the protest, Seattle police are no longer involved, Potter said.

Seattle police arrested 25 people on Wednesday as they clashed with protesters and hauled away tents. The protest continued after arrests were made.

Wednesday's showdown — in one of downtown's most popular gathering spots — began just after lunchtime, as some demonstrators refused a city order to remove the tents.

The Seattle protest, an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in New York City and elsewhere, had gone on since late last month at the downtown federal building and Westlake without much notice. But as the Westlake crowd grew and tents multiplied over the weekend, city officials decided this week to enforce rules against camping in parks.

On Wednesday afternoon, police and park rangers moved in.

Christopher Williams, acting parks superintendent, said demonstrators could stay in the park, but only during park hours of 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., though that was not enforced Wednesday night. He also said tents are not allowed.

"The right to protest in Seattle is a cherished one and one we uphold," Mayor Mike McGinn said earlier in the day, noting that he sympathized with the cause many protesters sought to highlight: the expanding gulf between rich and poor. But, McGinn added, "by putting up tents in Westlake Park, it means you are excluding other users."

Of the 25 people arrested, police said 13 were booked into King County Jail. Twelve others were released, police said, with requests for charges of obstructing a public officer sent to the City Attorney's Office.

Late Wednesday, in a soft, cold rain, more than 100 protesters remained at the site, monitored by a single, parked patrol car and a parks department security vehicle. Protesters were defiant, but peaceful.

"I think it's completely illegal to arrest people," said Emma Kaplan, 26. "All charges need to be dropped."

Moments earlier, Kaplan led a small group of people who repeated her comments, as is common at Occupy sites so that others can hear what's being said.

"Let's not give up, because the whole world is watching," they said. "Enough is enough. Right is on our side. Occupy Seattle."

Kaplan said she belonged to The World Can't Wait organization, which has been protesting the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. She applied for a permit so her group could hold an anti-war protest on Friday at the park. She said she had no problem with the tents set up by other protesters.

There were no tents late Wednesday; only a small fruit-and-food stand offering free snacks. Protesters were told by police that blankets and sleeping bags would not be allowed and that no one would be permitted "to lounge."

"That is monstrous," Kaplan said.

Seattle Parks and Recreation staff came to the park early Wednesday, and as dozens of police stood by, asked protesters to take down their tents.

By 2 p.m., before police converged on the crowd of maybe 200, about 25 tents had been taken down.

An additional 10 tents remained, and police and parks employees moved from tent to tent. In some cases, demonstrators resisted the efforts of police and parks workers to take the tents away — leading to several confrontations.

Twice, groups of protesters linked arms, determined to prevent officers from removing the tents and the protesters inside.

In one instance, protesters were on the ground and held down by police as other officers removed people from the tent and took them away in handcuffs.

Some of those protecting tents screamed as if being beaten, while others yelled about police brutality.

Occupy Wall Street protests started last month with a few dozen demonstrators trying to pitch tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Around the country and in Seattle, crowds have been drawn to a public, if unorganized, show against corporate greed.

Dee Powers, an artist living in Pioneer Square, has been part of the Westlake protest for several days.

"I'm totally for it," she said Wednesday. "I'm out here to support the people screaming for change."

Powers, though, goes home at night to sleep. "I don't do cold and wet that well," she said.

According to the Seattle protest website, "The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%."

But demonstrators who started the day talking about how they were in that "99 percent" of the population done wrong by Wall Street eventually turned their focus to the police. Some told officers to take off their badges and join them, while others chanted, "Cops, pigs and murderers."

More than 40 officers were at the scene late Wednesday afternoon.

Once the last tent was wrenched from the hands of protesters, police retreated.

One of those resisting police was Jackson Morgan, 19, from San Francisco.

"I feel great," he said, as some in the crowd hugged and congratulated him.

Protesters vowed to hold tight, saying they would remain at Westlake Park — with tents or without them.

Potter, spokeswoman for Seattle parks, said Wednesday that the consensus among city leaders, including McGinn and Police Chief John Diaz, was that any action against the protesters should be "as smooth and peaceful as we can make it."

Shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday, the crowd had dwindled to fewer than 100, but protesters were still chanting and holding signs.

Brock Milliern, security supervisor for Seattle parks, was monitoring from a nearby parks vehicle. "As long as they are protesting and don't set up structures, they will be allowed to stay," he said.

The Occupy Seattle group arrived at Westlake Park on Saturday, protesting corporate control of government. In the days since, as in other cities, the causes have diversified: Protesters' chants Wednesday urged Palestinian rights, immigration reform and open borders.

Whatever the cause, frustration was the common thread.

Daniel Dorn, 18, of Bellevue, said he spent six days at the park, staying overnight.

"I've been really upset," said Dorn. "In America we're one of the wealthiest countries and we don't have free health care."

Dorn carried a fundraising box, collecting cash to support protesters.

Staff reporters Jeff Hodson and Lynn Thompson contributed to this report. Material from The Associated Press was included.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com