The "Occupy" protests active in 18 U.S. cities polled by the Associated Press have cost local municipalities $13 million over the last two months, according to the wire service.

Pepper spray ain't cheap! The priciest occupiers? New York's, of course. The city says it has shelled out $7 million in police overtime since September to cover all of the additional hippie-beating, truck-stealing, and random-pepper-spraying costs incurred by the Zuccotti Park protesters. Oakland, Calif., has blown through $2.4 million so far toward an expected $3 million total bill, and Portland, Ore., has spent $785,000. Again, almost all of the costs go to police overtime, and we all know by now that cops are in the 99%, so everything's working out quite nicely.

The cheapest occupation is Occupy Dallas, which, according to that city, has cost local taxpayers a grand total of nothing at all. Come on, Dallas! Get motivated and give a cop some overtime cash, and the opportunity for a little ultraviolence, for Christmas.

[Image via Getty]