Oakland Could be the Future of American Cities

The protesters had gathered at a downtown library, marched toward City Hall and ultimately were met by police officers in riot gear. Several small skirmishes broke out and officers cleared the area by firing tear gas. The scene has repeated itself several times since. But each time officers move to disperse the crowd, protesters quickly gather again in assemblies that authorities have declared illegal. Tensions rise as protesters edge closer to police line and climax when someone throws a bottle or rock and authorities response with volleys of gas. Police have denied reports that they used flash bang canisters to help break up the crowds, saying the loud noises came from large firecrackers thrown at police by protesters. Helicopters scanned the area late Tuesday and scores of officers wearing helmets and carrying clubs patrolled the streets. Fire crews responded to small blazes in trash containers. Protesters moved about uneasily even as one used a bull horn to express his resolve. "This movement is more than just the people versus the police," Mario Fernandez said. "It's about the people trying to have their rights to basic services." He added, "This crowd isn't going anywhere anytime soon." Acting Police Chief Howard Jordan told reporters at a late night news conference that authorities had no other choice, saying the protesters were throwing rocks and bottles at officers. "We had to deploy gas to stop the crowd," he said, according to a KCBS report. - Occupy Oakland Protest: Police Fire Tear Gas And Beanbag Rounds, Clear Out Encampment, Huffington Post, October 26, 2011



I pray that the 'powers that be' do not see this movement as an excuse to lock down the nation into martial law. - marypoppins2009, October 9, 2011, YouTube.com

The two main challenges (facing the protesters are): (1) an attempt by both the Democratic and Republican parties to co-opt it (see this, this and this); and (2) agents provocateur (see this, this and this) [and here]. [Source]

Watch Oakland Police Fire Tear Gas on Protesters

October 26, 2011

Gawker.com - A tense scene is unfolding in Oakland right now as protesters, attempting to reclaim the plaza from which they were evicted early this morning, face off with police—who've used tear gas and percussion grenades on the occupiers.

The Occupy Oakland encampment in Frank Ogawa Plaza—renamed Oscar Grant Plaza by its new residents—was kicked out by Oakland police using smoke grenades on Tuesday morning over what authorities claimed were "sanitary and public safety concerns." At least 75 people were arrested in the process, and protesters say three were hurt.

"I think we allowed people to exercise their rights to free speech and free assembly," OPD Chief Howard Jordan told reporters.

But the Oakland movement is one of the largest in the country, and as many as 1000 occupiers met this afternoon outside the public library to begin a march back to their plaza. The police had barricaded the plaza and threatened to arrest the protesters unless they dispersed; some protesters were arrested and others were tear-gassed. The crowd appears to be moving, but it's not clear that there's a direction; we'll update this post as the situation develops.

You can watch a live helicopter feed of the demonstration on ABC 7's website here; there's another from the local CBS affiliate here. There's also this livestream from an occupier on the ground.

Update: Alternet's Josh Holland reports that 500 people have been tear-gassed; others on Twitter say flash-bangs and percussion grenades have been used as well. Live helicopter camera feeds from ABC and CBS were apparently cut off right before the police threw the gas grenades.

Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters in Oakland, Calif.

October 26, 2011

The Lede - Police officers shot several rounds of tear gas into a crowd of hundreds of protesters from the group Occupy Oakland on Tuesday night, as the protesters tried to re-enter an area outside of City Hall that the police had cleared of their encampment earlier in the day.

“It sounded like bombs,” said Joaquin Jutt, 24, a digital animator who was among the protesters. “There was a stinging and burning in my throat, eyes and nostrils. My eyes burned like there was hot sauce in them.”

The clashes on Tuesday occurred after the police removed about 170 demonstrators early in the morning who had been staying in the area after being warned that such a camp was illegal and that they faced arrest by remaining, The Associated Press reported. City officials said 97 people were arrested in the morning raid.

The first scuffle broke out later in the day after hundreds of people made their way back to City Hall, The A.P. said, in an attempt to re-establish a presence in the area of the dispersed camp.

A video from the scene on Tuesday night (both videos below were captured by Malia Wollan, reporting for The New York Times):

The crowds dispersed after the first round of tear gas but soon returned in similar numbers, according to protesters on the scene. At around 9:30 p.m., there was a tense face-off between protesters and police officers on Broadway at 14th Street. About 100 officers, some appearing to be sheriff’s deputies, stood behind a metal barricade in full riot gear and wearing gas masks, while on the other side people pressed against the barricade, waving peace signs and chanting slogans. A few protesters hurled objects — what looked like water bottles — at the police, while over a loud speaker, officers instructed people to disperse or risk “chemical agents.”

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. the announcements stopped. Moments after, the police began sending canisters of tear gas into the crowd. Many people ran, but a few protesters wearing gas masks stayed and continued to throw things at the police. Those who had been affected by the gas coughed repeatedly and appeared to weep. Some stooped before a woman who volunteered to rinse reddened eyes.

This video shows a protester having his eyes rinsed:

KGO-TV, a local ABC television affiliate, is broadcasting a live stream of the protesters clashing with police officers.

In dramatic raw video taken at around 8 p.m. local time and posted on KGO-TV’s Web site, flashes of light and explosions can be heard as people sprint away. Smoke engulfs the scene. According to information on the station’s Web site, there was also tear gas present.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the initial incident:

Police gave repeated warnings to protesters to disperse from the entrance to Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th Street and Broadway before firing several tear gas canisters into the crowd at about 7:45 p.m. Police had announced over a loudspeaker that those who refused to leave could be targeted by “chemical agents.” The evening protest started around 5 p.m., when about 400 people began marching from a public library at 14th and Madison streets toward the plaza, which police had barricaded and city officials had declared would be closed for at least several days.

“We’re going to march and reclaim what was already ours, what we call Oscar Grant Plaza and what they call City Hall,” said protester Krystof Lopaur, referring to the unarmed man shot to death by a BART police officer in January 2009.

Early on, the scene outside City Hall was largely peaceful, but it was a different story a few blocks west on Washington Street. Officers in riot gear hemmed in protesters around 6 p.m. and attempted to arrest one person, as about 50 more surrounded them shouting, “Let him go, let him go.”

Protesters threw turquoise and red paint at the riot police officers’ faces and helmets. Some led the crowd in chanting, “This is why we call you pigs.”

Others pleaded with the agitators to be peaceful and return to the march, yet some protesters tried to fight with police and were clubbed and kicked in return.

Almost simultaneous to the events in Oakland, the police in Atlanta removed protesters camped in Woodruff Park, arresting several, The Associated Press reported.

Organizers had instructed participants to be peaceful if arrests came, and most were, though police did drag out a few. Many gathered in the center of the park, locking arms, and sang “We Shall Overcome,” until police led them out, one-by-one to waiting buses. Most left on foot, handcuffed with plastic ties.

Police included SWAT teams in riot gear, dozens of officers on motorcycles and several on horseback. By about 1:30 a.m. the park was mostly cleared of protesters.

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