SANTA CRUZ --" The ongoing protest of the city's no-camping ordinance at Santa Cruz City Hall drew complaints from patrons of the Cabrillo Music Festival during the weekend, while police continued to arrest or ticket those involved with the sleep-in on the lawn of the city government complex, police reported.

Officers went to the demonstration nightly. Three people, all with addresses at the Homeless Services Center on Coral Street, were arrested. Of the three, one woman was jailed on an outstanding warrant and two men were arrested on suspicion of violating a state anti-lodging law, according to police spokesman Zach Friend.

Five other people were cited during the weekend, Friend said.

Deputy Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel said officers sometimes are citing or arresting people under the state law instead of the city ordinance. He said officers began doing so after consulting with the city attorney late last week.

It wasn't clear when officers would use the state law over the municipal code, or why one would be more appropriate than the other.

The state anti-lodging law is a misdemeanor prosecuted by the District Attorney's Office, while the a violation of the city ordinance goes to traffic court to be handled by the city attorney and, often, is dismissed if the person cited can show there were no beds available at the shelter the night he or she was ticketed. Vogel said an anti-lodging law violation does not have the same amnesty clause.

Complaints about the protest are starting to come in. City employees have expressed concern about people smoking outside city offices, a violation of the city's no-smoking ordinance, Vogel said. During the weekend, a Cabrillo Music Festival attendee told police that demonstrators were shouting profanities, but declined to sign a complaint, Friend said. The music festival was held at the Civic Auditorium, across the street from City Hall and the Peace Camp 2010 protest.

Peace Camp 2010 started July Fourth on the steps of the county courthouse. Demonstrators, who are protesting a city ordinance that prohibits camping between 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., stayed there largely undisturbed for more than a month while officials sorted out which laws applied to the protest and who should enforce them. The courthouse grounds are county-owned and patrolled by sheriff's deputies.

Deputies about 10 days ago started citing and arresting Peace Camp participants, whose numbers topped 50 each night, under the state anti-lodging law. A small group of demonstrators moved to the City Hall lawn to better target the city ordinance, which they want city leaders to repeal, after several nights of deputies coming to the courthouse protest while the majority of Peace Camp participants abandoned the effort.

Demonstrators have said there is not enough shelter space for the area's large homeless population. City leaders and homeless advocates have responded that people aren't taking advantage of the services offered.