Occupy Oakland Raided By Police (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

By Marcus Wohlsen, Associated Press

OAKLAND -- Police in riot gear cleared anti-Wall Street protesters on Tuesday morning from the plaza in front of Oakland's City Hall where they have been camped out for about two weeks.

Television news footage showed numerous people in plastic handcuffs being led away from the site by police around 5 a.m. The protesters did not appear to be resisting, although an officer did fire a non-lethal projectile from a shotgun at a protester who lobbed a bottle, authorities told the San Francisco Chronicle.

One of those arrested, Aiyahnna Johnson, 30, of Oakland, had been living at the camp with her 2-year-old daughter. "We want the best for you guys, that's all," she was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle telling two officers who were leading her away.

The police action began around 4:40 a.m. when an officer on a loud speaker told the protesters they were illegally blocking the plaza and were subject to arrest, according to the Chronicle. The newspaper reported that several hundred people appeared ready to defend the camp about an hour before police moved in, placing Dumpsters, boards, pallets and even metal police-style barricades around the plaza.

Anthony Owens, 40, of Oakland, said some people in the camp left as word spread about possible police action. A core group of about 150 people locked arms and shouted as officers moved in from four corners, Owens said.

Witnesses reported seeing smoke rising from the area. The plaza was "contained" around 5:30 a.m., according to city officials, although tents and trash remained strewn there.

Police maintained a heavy presence around downtown Oakland into the morning. Streets were closed off by police barricades, and at least two helicopters were in the air shining lights down. Dozens of officers were in the streets.

City officials advised downtown businesses to delay opening and told city employees to come in late.

A small group of people near the plaza were seen dragging police barricades into the street as police stood nearby. Police also cleared a smaller encampment from a park near the plaza on Tuesday morning.

A police spokeswoman did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press.

City officials had originally been supportive of the protesters, with Oakland Mayor Jean Quan saying that sometimes "democracy is messy."

But the city later warned the protesters that they were breaking the law and could not stay in the encampment overnight.

They cited concerns about rats, fire hazards, public urination and acts of violence at the site, which had grown to more than 150 tents and included health, child-care and kitchen areas.

But protesters over the weekend said they had no plans to leave.

Owens said the protesters plan to try to retake the plaza at some point. Asked whether they would be discouraged by the loss of the encampment, Owens said, "I think it's going to fire up people even more."

UPDATE: According to San Jose Mercury News, police used "chemical agents," possibly including tear gas during the raid at Occupy Oakland.

Watch a video of the raid courtesy of ABC7 and check out photos from our slideshow below:

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Comments

[stumanchu35]

04:42 PM on 10/27/2011

The tear gas probably smelled better then the unwashed masses.

[dbrett480]

06:09 PM on 10/26/2011

The issue is much more complicated than the protesters simply blocking the plaza. The encampments were a haven for criminal activity and the "organizers" refused to allow police inside to investigate. If there had been some cooperation between law enforcement and the Occupy Oakland movement, this most likely would not have happened.

[turkeyfish]

04:15 PM on 10/26/2011

One republican senator has charged that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are being paid to participate. Maybe for some this may be true. There is a very concerting trend that will damage American democracy if allowed to continue. The payment of protesters and newsmen to act as agents provocateurs, whether by the government or by third parties, to create violence to discredit the voices and grievance as specified in the Declaration of Independence, of the people will if left unchecked may very well destroy American democracy. The lives of people, the police, and their families are at stake.

Fortunately, there is a remedy for this. Occupy Protesters everywhere demand to sit on Citizen Police panels investigating such cases every time a case of violence is investigated. If local or state politicians make an effort either to stop them from monitoring such investigations then then calls for their immediate resignation must be demanded and those politicians which may also attempt to block citizen participation in police oversight advisory boards as well as on panels to reduce crime in their communities should be targeted for immediate recall or defeated at the next election.

We must not find ways to reduce violence associated with political protest, but we must also be prepared to seek justice and fairness in investigating and rooting out the causes of violence that my irreparably damage our democracy. All of us, don't deserve to lose the very public forum that distinguishes America from all other countries.

[InedaName]

02:38 PM on 10/26/2011

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi

It would appear that OWS has reached the fight stage of Gandhi's model of non-violent protest, so victory must be close. I just pray the cops don't go all Kent State on the occupiers.

[turkeyfish]

04:25 PM on 10/26/2011

America needs to be sure that a watchful eye will be investigating every cause of potential violence. America must unite to exclude violence from protest or risk the loss of our democracy. The will of the people to freely associate and ask that their grievances be addressed are at the core of our democracy. We must not let this right go. Demand civic work groups within the protest itself to work with the police to end violence and be sure that these conversations are fully accessible to all. There are enough video cameras in this world to do this. No one party or government must be allowed to control the number of cameras present, except to keep a sense of public order to the process of the live taping sessions. The good thing is that only a few feeds are needed to confirm the authenticity of action.

[pauldamon]

02:01 PM on 10/26/2011

OCCUPY WALLSTREET is a misnomer. They should be called
99% LIKE GREECE!

[JoeTheProgrammer]

01:58 PM on 10/26/2011

Throw rocks at the police and that's what happens. They need to leave. Their encampment is just a fetid mess.

[turkeyfish]

04:31 PM on 10/26/2011

There have now been a number of incidents across the country in which anti-protester groups have been either attempting to create mob like situations, as well as leaving boxes of rock market as "riot equipment" at protests to discredit the protests. While this may work here and there to push aside the voices with grievances among the people, it the long run it will corrode the very core of American democracy.

Consequently, we shouldn't be too quick to jump to conclusions until we get live confirmation from the scene as to the precise circumstances surrounding any violent or potentially violent act. If its protesters today, who says it won't be disgruntled bank or cable channel customers tomorrow. There are many forces, like Fox News, who would probably pay anything just to capture violence associated with otherwise democratic protest for sale to those who will try to use it to discredit and deflect the people's grievances.

[davearnold007]

01:56 PM on 10/26/2011

I've seen this movie before. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. As long as the police still think that they are on the side or 'right' and the civilians in the street are the 'wrong', this gets violent.

Someone will get shot. Like at Kent State.

And then, it gets really weird. But change will come...we just don't know what that will be. Wishing and hoping will change nothing.

The young have all to lose and all to gain by either staying at home or acting. I hope, for their sake, they hit the streets.

This country is going to be drained dry of any future for them if they don't rise up.

Jefferson recommended a revolution now and again. It is time for that revolution.

[InedaName]

02:31 PM on 10/26/2011

"Someone will get shot. Like at Kent State."

And then the media will be all over it. That's what they're waiting for. If it bleeds, it leads.

[land2341]

02:56 PM on 10/26/2011

Apparently not at HuffPo or if what bleeds is a Veteran for Peace.

They. Shot. A. Vet.

[aviandonn]

02:48 PM on 10/26/2011

Lesson from the 60's and 70's -Sometimes asking nicely gets you nowhere.

[gypsy508]

01:39 PM on 10/26/2011

Concerned about rats? Most of the buildings on my street have rats in the basement. They didn't all of a sudden start breeding to hang out with the campers.

[straightchange]

01:20 PM on 10/26/2011

"The Leopard doesn't change spots". Neither do Pigs. The Oakland heat has a reputation for busting heads that reaches back into the bloody anti war/draft protests of the sixties.

[turkeyfish]

04:41 PM on 10/26/2011

It has always left me wondering how a place with a mindset liberal enough to elect the current California government as mayor find itself unable to adequately train the police so that undue violence can be avoided rather than instigated to quash political dissent. I lived through the days of the People's Park, although not immediately in Berkeley, but as one drawn to the excellence of its university built largely by the father of the current governor. One would think that by now the general public would have found a way to better train their police. Protesters must demand it and for accountability among elected and appointed officials, who fail to control public violence, when exacerbated by the police.

[sensativereceptor]

01:08 PM on 10/26/2011

The occupy" protest was taken over by the same, mostly non oakland resident, BART police and Anonymous protestors and this is the result. Downtown businesses are being vandalized and have lost money since the protestors came in to town. People moved in fear around downtown and transit service and local roads into downtown were shut down.

The situation in oakland makes a shamble of the occupy movement.

[turkeyfish]

04:43 PM on 10/26/2011

Yes, we need to learn who among the protesters are being hired by third parties to provoke violent and damaging behavior in an effort to keep the people's grievances from being heard and who use the vandalism as an excuse to block their grievances from being addressed.

[teaksmama]

07:46 PM on 10/26/2011

you've been present to make this claim? feel free to verify your claim.

[PorrickSF]

12:36 PM on 10/26/2011

I am horrified and shocked that the first use of brute force against the mostly peaceful Occupy protestors was here in the Bay Area.

The police are here to protect and serve, but it seems the upper brass has decided to shred citizens constitutional rights instead. They all need retraining and psychological reviews beginning with the Chiefs in Oakland and SF and then on down from there.

[JoeTheProgrammer]

02:00 PM on 10/26/2011

Only after the rocks and bottles started to fly.

[clutchkill]

02:26 PM on 10/26/2011

One bottle after they bulldozed the peacefull protesters. Not comensurate for police actions.

[iamhomeagain]

02:33 PM on 10/26/2011

not true. I was there last night. People were in meditation circles. Folks were dancing. People were standing, chanting, holding up the peace sign, and generally just chilling at 14th and Broadway when the tear gas, flash grenades, and rubber bullets began to fly again.

[Roy l Payne]

12:25 PM on 10/26/2011

I am not certain that concentrating a protest in one area is the most effective way to create change. It might be more effective to set up spot demonstrations at the front of the perpetrators businesses with information on how to effect change, like standing in front of BofA and educating the public to the abuses of BofA and the alternatives to using that bank...like community credit unions, etc.

Once you set a battle boundary, you subject yourself to the comprehensive and thorough training of the paramilitary. You can't beat the training and discipline of a military. So, be like minutemen and hit the businesses with a blitz of information. Education on the abuses of the oligarchy is the only way to make progress with the sheeple.

[PhilipB]

02:48 PM on 10/26/2011

Excellent point
Well said.

[lolablev]

11:06 AM on 10/26/2011

And this is how we handle peaceful demonstration in the good 'ol US of A.

[turkeyfish]

05:36 PM on 10/26/2011

Take it seriously, democracy itself is at stake. Demand professional and civic behavior from all. The destroyers of democracy will not be able to command the will of the American People.

[mrm123]

10:47 AM on 10/26/2011

Didn't this mayor rule against anti gang injunctions and curfews? Did they take care of all the murders and rapes in Oakland? If a robbery is in progress no one shows up, but 200 cops show up to hassle protesters?

[gypsy508]

01:41 PM on 10/26/2011

Well, this is a city that if your car gets stolen and then found, it winds up at the city tow where you are charged money for storage and very likely have your car stripped even further.

[teaksmama]

07:50 PM on 10/26/2011

200? so drastically understated. there were hundreds and hundreds of cops from oakland, berkeley, pleasanton, the state, and every other mercenary organization in the vicinity. if they weren't brutalizing peaceful protesters, they were allowing it. you're sure right about nobody coming by.. gunshots across the corner from the plaza last week went completely unnoticed.

[Apollonavigator]

10:40 AM on 10/26/2011

It's unfortunate that no one here has taken the time to get informed on the Oakland situation. The cops have stood by for more than two weeks while this camp developed. Last week a man was beaten nearly to death, and while the paramedics were prevented from entering the camp, the police did nothing. A reporter was attacked by a leashed pit bull encouraged by its owner, and the police did nothing while the owner melted back into the camp. This was shown on the evening news.
Last week as it became apparent that this particular camp was becoming nothing but a sewer filled with drug heads, not just a bunch of nice hard working people wanting to get back in the work force.
The Mayor who had been their supporter finally said "enough", and gave written warning. The protesters of course felt offended and became more aggressive. They were told they would be removed, and were given a deadline. Finally, the police were ordered in to remove the protesters.
Now obviously most of you find this process offensive. Most people living and working in downtown Oakland do not. Of course, "working" is the key word here, something which most of these particular protestes do not comprehend.
Even now, the Mayor has said they can protest from morning to evening at the plaza, but not camp overnight. Of course, that wont do for these people, will it.
Too bad.

[youmademe]

02:18 PM on 10/26/2011

I think you're right to bring up those points, and I work downtown as well so I can relate. I had personally gone down to the downtown encampment to check it out and was indeed most struck by the ones you diagnose as drug heads and non-workers. As a result, I didn't make much of an effort to get involved.

I think you're absolutely right that the press and the police have a right to enter the public space, just as the protestors do, especially when the well-being of the citizens is in question.

But, just as you have decided that people here have not taken the time to get informed, I would encourage you to look beyond the fast criticism. I say this from a place of total empathy. I was disappointed that a movement whose ideals seemed pretty alright was being represented largely as (and perhaps by) a fringe population. But a few things have happened to make me question assigning those types of labels. I got a flat tire in downtown and had to pull over on 14th, I can't tell you how many people came out of the occupy camp in the plaza to check on us. Previously when I walked by the camp I got asked for change or cigarettes and was pretty put off. But in a situation of need and not asking for anything, everyone there seemed so ready to give.

[teaksmama]

07:55 PM on 10/26/2011

just because the 'fringe' population wasn't evicted and marginalized as usual doesn't mean they represent the movement. far from it. in reality, the movement was managing to begin to address the problems of homeless and otherwise socially ignored members of the population through compassion. this, of course, was a side issue to the national drive to oust big money from government, but a necessary element in the quest to be true to the value of calling ourselves the 99%. the side benefit of this compassion was proving that we could gather and begin to address local issues the city mostly ignores. while hundreds of police were gassing and destroying a peaceful tent town, a lonely homeless guy was sleeping in a doorway on concrete. it's okay to sleep in public, as long as you're cold and uncomfortable, open to the dangers of the streets. not okay to band together under tiny shelters to provide warmth and a momentary feeling of security.

[youmademe]

02:21 PM on 10/26/2011

As far as the Mayor - the manner in which they evicted and the absolute lack of diplomacy involved was disgusting to me. They took a 'public safety' issue and turned it into this? Pretty ironic. Yet, the saddest irony is that public health and safety only becomes an urgent issue when it's literally camped in front of City Hall. I mean, this is Oakland - does this city really want to take fast action on these issues? Because the real problem wasn't in that plaza - it's out in the neighborhoods. That just takes more work.

Anyways, I encourage you to question all sides - I think it's healthy. But just as you are ready to write off the protestors as a sewer of drug heads who can't comprehend working, I would take the time to question why the city evicted them at 4:30 in the morning, why the press is more drawn to the colorful folks with pit-bulls than the ones holding general assembly trying to clarify and better the movement, etc.

I still felt very much how you do until I went down there yesterday to document. While I saw some people whose actions didn't seem productive to me whatsoever - what I ultimately walked away with was this: the majority is a group of incredibly thoughtful, hard-working, caring people who want to listen to each other and tease out the issues - to debate and decide - but who all agree that the state of this

[teaksmama]

07:57 PM on 10/26/2011

well said. we invited every type of person, including off duty press people and cops, to come unarmed and participate in the general assembly. when the mainstream press did interviews with individuals, they didn't ask about the process at all, but did ask about whatever issues they could sensationalize.