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Editorial

Even without an encampment, Occupy can claim a victory

Occupy Boston member John Foster swept in Dewey Square where a tent had been. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

THE PROTESTERS who left Occupy Boston over the past two days can hold their heads high, having accomplished much in two and a half months. Those who chose to remain, seeking a confrontation with police, risked undermining those very accomplishments. Fortunately, when police moved in this morning, it was an orderly operation -- one that allowed both the city and the Occupiers to move on.

Since it was established on Sept. 30, the tent encampment in Dewey Square served as a daily reminder of the human cost of the recent economic downturn. The demonstrators may have lost in court on Wednesday in their effort to prevent the city from evicting them, but in a larger sense, they were successful. The encampment, along with others across America, put the issue of income inequality front and center in national politics.

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The end of the camp, which had come to present a health risk to participants, allows demonstrators to move past the increasingly distracting disputes about where and whether they could legally pitch tents. Especially in recent weeks, too much of the discussion has been about park regulations, the nuances of the First Amendment, and police tactics. Those are all legitimate topics, but the movement would be wise to refocus now on its economic agenda.

In other cities, the end of the physical encampment seems to have been a blessing in disguise. Spared the demands of managing a full-time tent city, protesters have been free to focus on foreclosures, student loan debt, and narrowing the income gap. And by continuing on, even after the drum circle is gone, those protesters have built credibility with a sometimes skeptical public that the Occupy protesters are sincere about their cause - that they’re not just protesting for protesting’s sake.

In Boston, Mayor Menino deserves credit for having allowed the camp to remain until health conditions became unacceptable, and then for giving the protesters ample time to haul away the tarps and tents. The mostly orderly scenes that unfolded in Dewey Square after the judge’s ruling of protesters packing their belongings into U-Hauls stood in contrast to the confrontations in other cities - a credit to both the city and the protesters. Even the police raid this morning -- which involved dozens of arrests, but also the release of many protesters who didn’t want to be arrested -- showed both sides in a positive light.

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Whatever happens next, the political impact of the Occupy protests is already clear. Earlier this week, President Obama gave a speech in Osawatomie, Kan., calling for higher taxes on the rich and tighter regulation of the financial industry, echoing key positions of many Occupy supporters. Those aren’t new positions for Obama. But his rhetoric is growing sharper. And from Dewey Square to Osawatomie, the message is resonating.

This editorial was updated to reflect today’s events at the Occupy Boston encampment in Dewey Square.