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Protest with man who claims he is taking over Highland Park ends peacefully

Posted at 12:17 PM, Oct 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-12 12:17:26-04

A protest in Highland Park ended peacefully on Wednesday morning after lasting about 30 minutes.

A man named Ramzu Yunus claims he is taking over the city of Highland Park as an independent and free state.

Police were prepared for a turnout of hundreds after his last protest on July 4 which became chaotic and violent. On Wednesday, less than two dozen people showed up.

For hours, K-9's swept the building, a helicopter kept eyes in the sky and a SWAT team and bomb squad were assembled inside.

There were threats on Facebook that Yunus would have armed soldiers at the protest, and the mayor said they were serious enough to take action.

After claiming independence, Yunus also announced he would be giving the city notice to vacate their own city hall so he could move in.

The mayor says in previous meetings, Yunus has requested to hand out abandoned homes to people in need for free, but the city denied that request.