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Early Morning Police Raid Occupy Oakland
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Early morning police raid ousts Occupy Oakland
By Kristin J. Bender
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 10/25/2011 06:24:10 AM PDT
Updated: 10/25/2011 08:57:27 AM PDT
Related Stories
* Oct 25:
* Live Blog: Police arrest protesters, tear down Occupy Oakland tent city
* Oct 21:
* Officials escalate efforts to remove Occupy Wall Street protesters from city halls in Bay Area
* San Francisco: Bachmann knocks Occupy movement, praises tea partyers
* Oct 20:
* Leonard Pitts Jr.: Next move crucial for Occupy Wall Street movement
OAKLAND -- Before dawn Tuesday, at least 200 police, many in riot gear, tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment in front of City Hall and arrested dozens of people. A smaller camp near Lake Merritt was also dismantled.
Early reports from police say the raids went smoothly, with all protesters cleared out of the downtown Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in less than 30 minutes.
After the raids concluded, Mayor Jean Quan said the plaza will remain open as a free speech gathering place "for peaceful protest" during park hours, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Police surrounded the plaza about 4:45 a.m., moving in and then taking down tents and barricades erected by the group, which had been camped there since Oct. 10 in support of the Occupy Wall Street effort.
Many protesters were handcuffed and led away by police from the camp at 14th Street and Broadway. Many others left on their own.
Police in riot gear, armed with billy clubs and some with shotguns or tear gas, entered the camp and overturned tents and the campers' wooden stalls quickly. What was left looked like a hurricane-struck refugee camp. They ripped up dozens of cardboard signs, overturned a couch and when it was over there were scraps of carpet, personal belongings and trash all over the plaza.
Quan issued a written statement at about 7:45 a.m., saying many Oaklanders support the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement and that city officials had been in daily contact with the
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campers.
"However, over the last week it was apparent that neither the demonstrators nor the City could maintain safe or sanitary conditions, or control the ongoing vandalism," Quan said. "We want to thank the police, fire, public works and other employees who worked over the last week to peacefully close the encampment. We also thank the majority of the protesters who peacefully complied with city officials."One police officer said that during the plaza camp shutdown, protesters threw several objects at police, including bottles, skillets, other kitchen utensils and rocks. They also "threw plates at us like Frisbees," the officer said.
Protesters also chanted "Police go home, cops go home" and banged sticks on anything they could find. Some chanted, "Police are the biggest gang in America."
At the Snow Park camp, Mindy Stone said as she was led away by police that she was just there to protest and exercise her rights.
"We are not camping, we are just demonstrating," Stone said.
No injuries were immediately reported. Police did not have an exact count of how many people were arrested.
There were more arrests of Occupy protesters in San Jose too, though the scene in Silicon Valley has been much quieter than in the East Bay.
San Jose Police Officer Jose Garcia said about 3:30 a.m. seven protesters were arrested; four were taken to jail on charges of illegal camping and three were cited and released for trespassing. This brings the total number of arrests in San Jose to roughly two dozen since Friday, the first day the city began arresting protesters.
According to police, Shaun O'Kelly, the 27-year-old out-of-work irrigation worker who scaled a 36-foot wall outside San Jose City Hall Monday morning, spent the night up on a five-foot wide ledge. "I'd be afraid of rolling off," Garcia said.
When O'Kelly comes down, Garcia said it's highly likely he would be arrested on both an illegal camping and trespassing charge. O'Kelly shouted down from the wall on Monday that he was going to stay up there as long as he could. "I have nothing to lose," he said previously.The Occupy Oakland encampment sprung up on Oct. 10 and over the last two weeks had grown into a "tent city" with an estimated 300 campers, using hay bales and stalls for medical aid, food, art, and community meetings. Along with the makeshift city came a host of problems. City officials reported rats in the camp, fights, sexual harassment and assaults, drug use and violence against the media.
Shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday, Occupy Oakland organizers sent out a text message alert, saying a police raid was imminent, but police didn't surround camp until almost two hours later. Police used a bullhorn to repeat instructions to leave the plaza immediately or risk arrest. Police threatened to use "chemical agents" to oust the protesters.
Protesters attempted to keep police out by putting at least two metal Dumpsters at the side of the camp near 14th Street and Broadway, but police pushed them aside during the raid.
One man walked around carrying a giant shield he fashioned out of duct tape. After the plaza was cleared of protesters, about 20 to 30 people gathered on a small side street off Broadway between 14th and 15th streets beating drums and chanting "rise up, rise up, rise up, come on people rise up" as police mulled around the plaza and in small groups on the streets. Three helicopters circled above the scene as the night began to turn to day. The city has advised employers to keep employees away from downtown while cleanup crews move in to remove the massive amount of debris.
When the loose-knit group first occupied the plaza, it was to protest widespread unemployment and corporate greed, but the encampment grew to encompass many other causes: support for state prison inmates who are on hunger strikes, housing rights, fair wages and against social oppression.
City officials began stepping up pressure on the protesters last week and on Friday upped the stakes by issuing a letter stating that the encampment on the plaza was "a violation of the law" and threatening violators with immediate arrest.
The "notice of violations and demand to cease violations" came a day after a preliminary letter that urged the residents to vacate the camp because of what the city said were a host of problems, including fighting, vandalism, public urination and other sanitation and public health issues. Officials said an existing rat problem in the area was being made worse by the encampment, which had about 100 tents at one point.
A spokeswoman for the mayor, Karen Boyd, said Friday that the protesters had shown themselves incapable of self-governance. "As a collective, they cannot maintain the plaza in a safe condition," she said.
inShare0
ReprintPrint EmailEmail Font Resize
Early morning police raid ousts Occupy Oakland
By Kristin J. Bender
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 10/25/2011 06:24:10 AM PDT
Updated: 10/25/2011 08:57:27 AM PDT
Related Stories
* Oct 25:
* Live Blog: Police arrest protesters, tear down Occupy Oakland tent city
* Oct 21:
* Officials escalate efforts to remove Occupy Wall Street protesters from city halls in Bay Area
* San Francisco: Bachmann knocks Occupy movement, praises tea partyers
* Oct 20:
* Leonard Pitts Jr.: Next move crucial for Occupy Wall Street movement
OAKLAND -- Before dawn Tuesday, at least 200 police, many in riot gear, tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment in front of City Hall and arrested dozens of people. A smaller camp near Lake Merritt was also dismantled.
Early reports from police say the raids went smoothly, with all protesters cleared out of the downtown Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in less than 30 minutes.
After the raids concluded, Mayor Jean Quan said the plaza will remain open as a free speech gathering place "for peaceful protest" during park hours, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Police surrounded the plaza about 4:45 a.m., moving in and then taking down tents and barricades erected by the group, which had been camped there since Oct. 10 in support of the Occupy Wall Street effort.
Many protesters were handcuffed and led away by police from the camp at 14th Street and Broadway. Many others left on their own.
Police in riot gear, armed with billy clubs and some with shotguns or tear gas, entered the camp and overturned tents and the campers' wooden stalls quickly. What was left looked like a hurricane-struck refugee camp. They ripped up dozens of cardboard signs, overturned a couch and when it was over there were scraps of carpet, personal belongings and trash all over the plaza.
Quan issued a written statement at about 7:45 a.m., saying many Oaklanders support the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement and that city officials had been in daily contact with the
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campers.
"However, over the last week it was apparent that neither the demonstrators nor the City could maintain safe or sanitary conditions, or control the ongoing vandalism," Quan said. "We want to thank the police, fire, public works and other employees who worked over the last week to peacefully close the encampment. We also thank the majority of the protesters who peacefully complied with city officials."One police officer said that during the plaza camp shutdown, protesters threw several objects at police, including bottles, skillets, other kitchen utensils and rocks. They also "threw plates at us like Frisbees," the officer said.
Protesters also chanted "Police go home, cops go home" and banged sticks on anything they could find. Some chanted, "Police are the biggest gang in America."
At the Snow Park camp, Mindy Stone said as she was led away by police that she was just there to protest and exercise her rights.
"We are not camping, we are just demonstrating," Stone said.
No injuries were immediately reported. Police did not have an exact count of how many people were arrested.
There were more arrests of Occupy protesters in San Jose too, though the scene in Silicon Valley has been much quieter than in the East Bay.
San Jose Police Officer Jose Garcia said about 3:30 a.m. seven protesters were arrested; four were taken to jail on charges of illegal camping and three were cited and released for trespassing. This brings the total number of arrests in San Jose to roughly two dozen since Friday, the first day the city began arresting protesters.
According to police, Shaun O'Kelly, the 27-year-old out-of-work irrigation worker who scaled a 36-foot wall outside San Jose City Hall Monday morning, spent the night up on a five-foot wide ledge. "I'd be afraid of rolling off," Garcia said.
When O'Kelly comes down, Garcia said it's highly likely he would be arrested on both an illegal camping and trespassing charge. O'Kelly shouted down from the wall on Monday that he was going to stay up there as long as he could. "I have nothing to lose," he said previously.The Occupy Oakland encampment sprung up on Oct. 10 and over the last two weeks had grown into a "tent city" with an estimated 300 campers, using hay bales and stalls for medical aid, food, art, and community meetings. Along with the makeshift city came a host of problems. City officials reported rats in the camp, fights, sexual harassment and assaults, drug use and violence against the media.
Shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday, Occupy Oakland organizers sent out a text message alert, saying a police raid was imminent, but police didn't surround camp until almost two hours later. Police used a bullhorn to repeat instructions to leave the plaza immediately or risk arrest. Police threatened to use "chemical agents" to oust the protesters.
Protesters attempted to keep police out by putting at least two metal Dumpsters at the side of the camp near 14th Street and Broadway, but police pushed them aside during the raid.
One man walked around carrying a giant shield he fashioned out of duct tape. After the plaza was cleared of protesters, about 20 to 30 people gathered on a small side street off Broadway between 14th and 15th streets beating drums and chanting "rise up, rise up, rise up, come on people rise up" as police mulled around the plaza and in small groups on the streets. Three helicopters circled above the scene as the night began to turn to day. The city has advised employers to keep employees away from downtown while cleanup crews move in to remove the massive amount of debris.
When the loose-knit group first occupied the plaza, it was to protest widespread unemployment and corporate greed, but the encampment grew to encompass many other causes: support for state prison inmates who are on hunger strikes, housing rights, fair wages and against social oppression.
City officials began stepping up pressure on the protesters last week and on Friday upped the stakes by issuing a letter stating that the encampment on the plaza was "a violation of the law" and threatening violators with immediate arrest.
The "notice of violations and demand to cease violations" came a day after a preliminary letter that urged the residents to vacate the camp because of what the city said were a host of problems, including fighting, vandalism, public urination and other sanitation and public health issues. Officials said an existing rat problem in the area was being made worse by the encampment, which had about 100 tents at one point.
A spokeswoman for the mayor, Karen Boyd, said Friday that the protesters had shown themselves incapable of self-governance. "As a collective, they cannot maintain the plaza in a safe condition," she said.
I went to the encampment last Friday. Yes, there were some homeless people there taking advantage of free food and entertainment. However,the issue of being incapable of self governance is false. They had daily General Assemblies, a daily gazette with a schedule of events and activities, a medical tent and no signs of disruption which I saw, with my own little eyes.
The American Revolution was began in part against the bank of England's control over the colonies. This is the same except the bank is now international corporations and the protest is world wide.
The American Revolution was began in part against the bank of England's control over the colonies. This is the same except the bank is now international corporations and the protest is world wide.
I understand what they are saying. I find it curious that the media is really going out of their way to cover this, altho when they do it is generally something like the above and because the people are all nasty, lazy, unemployed and all that. In other words imo, more propaganda and is why I want a take from the other side as well. Im not saying there are not some of those types in the group but it certainly doesnt describe all of them. Most americans support their cause and I heard tonight on CNN, Pears (not sure how to spell it)Morgan will be asking them directly what is and is not up with them. But there is definately a movement to shut them up and disband them at any cost as well. Fox for one. Trying to pit the teaparty and this group against each other. God forbid the people unite as one. That would be real trouble for people like fox with an agenda. Our hatred of each other makes them their millions.
I see this as a No Brainer
"The "notice of violations and demand to cease violations" came a day after a preliminary letter that urged the residents to vacate the camp because of what the city said were a host of problems, including fighting, vandalism, public urination and other sanitation and public health issues. Officials said an existing rat problem in the area was being made worse by the encampment, which had about 100 tents at one point.
A spokeswoman for the mayor, Karen Boyd, said Friday that the protesters had shown themselves incapable of self-governance. "As a collective, they cannot maintain the plaza in a safe condition," she said."
"The "notice of violations and demand to cease violations" came a day after a preliminary letter that urged the residents to vacate the camp because of what the city said were a host of problems, including fighting, vandalism, public urination and other sanitation and public health issues. Officials said an existing rat problem in the area was being made worse by the encampment, which had about 100 tents at one point.
A spokeswoman for the mayor, Karen Boyd, said Friday that the protesters had shown themselves incapable of self-governance. "As a collective, they cannot maintain the plaza in a safe condition," she said."
I am totally surprised it took this long to see this, as it is not unexpected. It will be interesting to see what the protestors do now. I want to hear from the protestors what happened from their stance on it. I support them as well.
I will await the other side of the story and report back.
This morning at 6 I awoke to a constant noise of a circling helicopter.
It sounded like a war was beginning.
As my head cleared, I knew they were raiding Occupy Oakland, the peaceful downtown encampment.
Unable to sleep, I got out of bed, saw the news helicopter overhead and got online.
Yes, the police were cracking down using tear gas.
The police as a group are a force.
As individuals they too are part of the 99% being screwed.
Part of me wants to scream, where is the land of the free, the home of liberty, we were taught in school?
I think I'll make an arm band, declaring, "I support Occupy Oakland," or maybe it should say," I support Occupy Nation."
It sounded like a war was beginning.
As my head cleared, I knew they were raiding Occupy Oakland, the peaceful downtown encampment.
Unable to sleep, I got out of bed, saw the news helicopter overhead and got online.
Yes, the police were cracking down using tear gas.
The police as a group are a force.
As individuals they too are part of the 99% being screwed.
Part of me wants to scream, where is the land of the free, the home of liberty, we were taught in school?
I think I'll make an arm band, declaring, "I support Occupy Oakland," or maybe it should say," I support Occupy Nation."
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