Dispatch from #OccupyBoston: Less Than Two Hours To Go Before Dewey Square Eviction

It's a mob scene at Occupy Boston tonight. A peaceful mob scene. The terrain is mostly muddy, with remnants of more than two months of revolution scattered over Dewey Square. The signs are packed up. So are most of the larger working group tents, including the enduring food operation, which now consists of just a table with some meager offerings. Someone brought bucketfuls of communal coffee for tonight's long haul though.

As I'm filing this post, a General Assembly of several hundred-and-then-some is hashing out proposals for how Occupiers will handle tonight's looming, City of Boston-sponsored eviction. The seemingly prevailing game plan is billed as the “Dance Party” proposal, and will essentially call for the entire square to be cleared by midnight, at which time they'll have a dance party to celebrate evacuating on their own terms.

Whether or not that precise arrangement is stamped and approved, there are too many moving parts to squeeze tonight's proceedings into a single vote, or even into several. Some Occupiers will and are already refusing to move their tents, making it likely that police will forcibly evict them. There are also a number of rumors that, come midnight, a number of direct action-minded activists will unleash a torrent of creative non-violent resistance.

PHOTOS: Occupy Boston defies Menino’s order to vacate Dewey Square, by Ariel Shearer

Police sources tell the Phoenix that while cops will certainly bring a significant presence tonight, they're not likely to actually raid (at least not in the nasty sense). They don't want a confrontation – especially now that they've seen Occupiers make efforts to clear out. Instead they reportedly plan to move in early in the morning – between last call and the morning news – sometime this weekend. That's hardly a surprise, of course, as such a move would minimize exposure to press and opposition.

As for the city line on this . . . Mayor Tom Menino said on radio earlier today that he's “implementing the judge's orders.” But according to the ruling regarding Dewey Square: “This decision clears the way but does not order the plaintiffs and other protesters to vacate the site.” That's all legal smoke now though. There's not even an appeal filed, and if there was – Occupy Boston attorneys say it wouldn't change the reality that some hammers are about to swing down on the encampment.

At the time of this filing, there's less than two hours left – to the dance party, to the eviction, to the “Great Raid of 2011” – whatever you want to call it. They might do the chicken dance. They might do the margarena. Word is they might take the party to the streets (though not everyone agrees on any of this – the specific Dance Party proposal is currently blocked). Whatever Occupiers do though – whether it's group pandemonium or a concert of autonomous engagements – there's no doubt that there will be some fireworks this evening. Stay tuned.

Oh – and a two-year-old mic-checked that he will change the world...