Occupy Oakland Raided

[Jimmie Higgins]

After a long and nervous night of rumors about a raid, reports of memos to city hall employees the police surrounded Occupy Oakland a little after 4:30 am this morning.

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_19188125

The texts I've been getting say that protesters are reconvening and working on next steps, will post more as it develops.

[Jimmie Higgins]

People are still out there but I wasn't able to swing by after I got off work because they shut down public transportation to downtown. There's a rally at 4pm today at the Oakland Public Library, anyone in the bay area should try and make it if they can and encourage people from the other occupations to come support.

[ВАЛТЕР]

https://rt.com/usa/news/occupy-oakland-arrest-wall-685/

Just posting news from the front.

[ellipsis]

reports of tear gas, flash bangs and rubber bullets used. Solidarity from across the bay.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/310737_2451629901329_1569476006_2601819_831359325_ n.jpg

[ellipsis]

from the facebook event for regrouping:



Tuesday, October 25 · 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Location Oakland Public Library (Main Branch) Steps14th and Madison
Oakland, California


Created ByOccupy Oakland (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003010185115)
ForOccupy Oakland (http://www.facebook.com/groups/occupyoaktown/)More InfoOCCUPY OAKLAND: URGENT CALL FOR ASSISTANCE.

WE ARE ASKING EVERYONE IN OAKLAND TO JOIN US.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WIDELY.

As we agreed upon in General Assembly, on the evening following any police assault on our camp, we will reconvening at the Oakland Public Library, on the steps. We will discuss our options and pick one, and then take action as a community to respond / rebuild our occupation.

[Ele'ill]

Solidarity from Portland.

[Ele'ill]

Photos!!!

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/25/18695005.php

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/25/18694984.php

http://www.occupyoakland.org/

[Rocky Rococo]

Second round in Oakland underway.

[Sugarnotch]

What's happening?

[Ocean Seal]

"The cops are the 99 percent, but they're doing the work of the 1 percent. Wall Street is proud of them every time they clear out an encampment,” Meyers added.


Truth in a mainstream journal. About time someone said it.

[Le Socialiste]

I read that the city/police were considering imposing a curfew. Have they, or are they merely threatening it?

[R_P_A_S]

does anyone know what happened tonight? Did the cops make more arrest?

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid374632111001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAADEw9EQ~,h1MFhv8o 8KH4Pz94oWeQK6-s80p1y6W8&bctid=1239522053001

Video of tear gas. Many Americans will be surprised to see the US government is willing to treat protests here the way Ben Ali, Mubarak, Gaddafi and King Khalifa of Bahrain did. This is eye-opening.

[Le Libérer]

Here is an Occupy Oakland livestream. Its still going on .
http://www.keloland.com/custompages/cbslive/

And another, but this is Baltimore with clips of Live Oakland feed
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

On the second link there is live chat real time with update info as it is happening.


"It's being reported that Occupy Atlanta, Occupy Baltimore, Occupy Clarksville, Occupy San Diego have all been served by police with eviction notices for midnight tonight"

[Le Socialiste]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid374632111001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAADEw9EQ~,h1MFhv8o 8KH4Pz94oWeQK6-s80p1y6W8&bctid=1239522053001

Video of tear gas. Many Americans will be surprised to see the US government is willing to treat protests here the way Ben Ali, Mubarak, Gaddafi and King Khalifa of Bahrain did. This is eye-opening.

Call me cynical, but I suspect most Americans will meet the use of such tactics with mild protest and weary acceptance. They're aware their government wouldn't hesitate to use force to quell unrest. Unfortunately, some won't view this as a bad thing.

[R_P_A_S]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid374632111001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAADEw9EQ~,h1MFhv8o 8KH4Pz94oWeQK6-s80p1y6W8&bctid=1239522053001 (http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid374632111001?bckey=AQ%7E%7E,AAAAADEw9EQ%7E,h1 MFhv8o8KH4Pz94oWeQK6-s80p1y6W8&bctid=1239522053001)

Video of tear gas. Many Americans will be surprised to see the US government is willing to treat protests here the way Ben Ali, Mubarak, Gaddafi and King Khalifa of Bahrain did. This is eye-opening.


is this right now? Tonight???

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Closing down Occupy camps show how worried the ruling class is beginning to get about this movement. Its still "liberal/left", anti-corporate but not anti-capitalist. But,it is beginning to connect with the working class and slip out of the control of the elites.This movement must be ended ASAP!

One thing the ruling class can be counted on for is short sightedness and stupidity.The inevitable repression will radicalize the movement. Whatever happens, even if the Occupy movements folds under the impact of its own lack of demands, police repressionm, and the cold weather, we are in for a period of a vast class fightback.

I'm watching people on Oakland being tear gassed right now.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

is this right now? Tonight???

At least recently, maybe the past 1-2 hours, im not sure what's happening right now.

Police from other parts of the Bay Area have gone up to "join the fight" on the side of the State, and they have barricaded the location where the campsite was. We'll see where things go from here.

Pictures of rubber bullet wounds from Oakland

http://yfrog.com/nzzcazj

[Rocky Rococo]

is this right now? Tonight???

yes, right now, tonight. Hegemony has chosen what may prove to be the strongest link in their effort to break the chain.

[R_P_A_S]

yes, right now, tonight. Hegemony has chosen what may prove to be the strongest link in their effort to break the chain.

nuts! I can't believe the city would continue their repression.

[ellipsis]

As I type this protesters are being confrOnted with 500 cops. Two personal comrades in rail at least.

[R_P_A_S]

Did protestors really throw rocks at the cops? because this is how they are justifying their use of tear gas.. ALSO are they also really using the bean bag projectiles?

http://news.yahoo.com/police-fire-tear-gas-protesters-throw-rocks-044055972.html

[ellipsis]

I don't know if anybody actually threw things at the cops, i wouldn't put it past eastbay comrades though... I am still trying to figure out which types of non-lethals they used, i have confirmed that a flashbang was thrown to scatter folks when the cops showed up, tear gas confirmed as well.

[Martin Blank]

I heard wooden dowel bullets and bean bags. Can you confirm?

[ellipsis]

Im getting reports from the streets of continued tear gassing, concussion grenades going on currently. Mass arrests possibly pending...

[PhoenixAsh]

teargass and sonic weapons (don't know if they are used but it is fucking horrible that they even have these)

How long are protesters going to remain peacefull against this police repression?

[PhoenixAsh]

Atlanta being evicted too. 50 and counting arrests.

People are asking for revolutionary politics on live stream Atlanta :) ...o...and more hiphop

[ellipsis]

I heard wooden dowel bullets and bean bags. Can you confirm?

No I cannot. I am also not reading news about it, there is a text rapid response line, people are send me other info too, and I have only talked to people present last night. There is a lot of confusion and the clashes are still going on, 20 hours later, so stay tuned.

Here is what I can say: Oakland police have A LOT of riot gear, including sound cannons (LRADs?), aeriel burst pepper spray grenades etc. Going back to oscar grant protest and further, they are old hands at this type of brutal repression. OPD also has been coordinating with English law enforcement, sharing tactics etc.

Additionally, people are reporting as many as 10 law enforcement agencies involved.

So they are packing heat to be sure.

http://s1-02.twitpicproxy.com/photos/large/433190207.jpg

Protester injured by some kind of blunt trauma projectile.

[PhoenixAsh]

Well....right after the aeroso and teargass grenades were shot at the protestors on the feed We could see a protester who was lying down like he was injured and people rushed to help and they shot a grenade right at them... police fucker stood no more than 10-12 feet away from teh protesters..

Heavy flashbang use.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Holy shit, tonight was worse than the Oscar Grant police riots.

Local media and other activists have said there were bean bags etc. Definitely tear gas and flash-bombs. National NPR news reported this morning that "chemical agents, explosives, and tear-gas were deployed, but it was unclear which side was using them." The police said that the explosives were firecrackers thrown at them by the protesters, but later admitted that they were the ones who used the explosives.

But my favorite piece of hypocrisy...


The issue is NOT weather we support the movement. The issue is the safety of the people staying overnight

Oh realllllllly....
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/files/2011/10/occupyoaklandMain.jpg

The crazy thing is that on the listserves some people were saying, "Why won't Jean Quan tell the police to stop?" and shit like that - not ironically. At the protests today there were people asking the cops to "join us" etc. Well, that's to be expected to a certain extent, but I hope people have lost some of their illusions and I think it will make more people receptive to radical analysis about which side the cops and the Democrats are really on. For the past week I kept talking about the inevitability of the raid and the need to plan and inevitably someone would say, "But Quan supports us".

Hmm...


We want to thank the police, fire, public works and other employees who worked over the last week to peacefully close the encampment


Anyway, the good thing is that tons of people were out today and resolve was very strong. Many people from all over the bay area and the other occupies which is great. I hope we can create some kind of network between them. I also hope the silver lining to all this state violence is that more people involved will begin to take things like outreach and movement building and strong strategies for defense more seriously.

As with the Oscar Grant movement the city has been leaning on the NGOs to not show any support for the movement and to work against it and drive a wedge between the progressives and the more militant. There have been meetings of city hall and community groups in the past week. I hope it will be less successful this time.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Yes, the action was to protect the campers:rolleyes:

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltn471m9pA1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg

^The blue wall that keeps the 1% safe from the 99%.

Oakland brought in 18 police agencies for this.

[ВАЛТЕР]

QngE6kKk8Lg

[xub3rn00dlex]

Solidarity to those comrades in oakland. Just watched the news and the crackdown made headlines. Cbs2 reported 800 protesters clashing with police who were using rubber bullets, tear gas, flash bangs, riot gear, and sound cannons. Protestors are reported to have retaliated by throwing silverware and rocks at police. The chief reported finding needles, excrements, and 'medications' affter raiding the camp. Iirc they said 97 arrests were made last night.

Also, the mayor stated they should only be protesting between 6am-10pm and not 24 hrs a day.

[Per Levy]

wow, i wouldnt have thought that they fear the ows movement that much that they would crack on them in this fashion. solidarity to all who were there and hopefully no one got seriously injured.


Also, the mayor stated they should only be protesting between 6am-10pm and not 24 hrs a day.

ah so, the right for demonstration is only accaptable during certain times. well i hope that these actions and statements like the ones from the mayor help the occupy movement to become more radical.

ps: fuck the cops!

[PhoenixAsh]

I had posted a message on her (Quan's) facebook wall saying:



What is happening in your city is horrible and deeply shocking. The amount of violence used by the police, the inhumane brutality that is carried out on your watch and the disregard for human dignity and democratic constitutional rights is appalling. It is disturbing to see that people in the United States are being treated with such disregard for human rights. Awful.

(yeah...I know...I could have been a whole lot more radical...silly me)

Took them seven minutes to take the message down. In those seven minutes 15 people liked my wall post.

[xub3rn00dlex]

I also heard that in nyc there was legislation passed barring noise atthe ows for more than 2hrs a day, and that the protesters must provide their own portapotties. Can anyone confirm? The clampdown and repression cometh, fuck the police comrades, solidarity. I hope oakland protestors come back in force and numbers.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I had posted a message on her (Quan's) facebook wall saying:



(yeah...I know...I could have been a whole lot more radical...silly me)

Took them seven minutes to take the message down. In those seven minutes 15 people liked my wall post.

Do you have to "friend" her to post on there?

[Jimmie Higgins]

Well if you used to be able to post without friending, you can't anymore. I'd send a request just to make a post myself but I don't want to read some sectarian pamphlet in 3 months claiming that ISO members are friends with the Democratic establishment.

So instead I reported her page to the Facebook automated system:

"Help this person is harassing or bullying me"

[tir1944]

As people noted previously,the whole "99%" rhetoric doesn't have anything to do with the revolutionary working class.

[thriller]

Solidarity from Madison. The police here evicted us out of our original park, but allowed us to camp out on the Capitol square. I think the Madison Police are less likely to fight us because Walker has recently frozen their pay for the next two years. Keep it up Oakland!

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Mayor Quan will go down as the next Clark Kerr

http://www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1964/10/kerr.htm

[agnixie]

One protestor is in critical condition from the gassing, I just hope they're as lucky as the other people who recovered, as time passes I get the feeling that we're necessarily going to see the cops kill protesters :/

I just hope these sorts of police actions will help get us out of this bullshit "we love the police" mentality some people tried to bring in.

Edit - further update, two members of the oakland legal crew also have broken hands apparently.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

The interesting thing about Occupy Oakland and Occupy Atlanta is that they both have large numbers of people of color involved. Oakland has Asians, Hispanics, and African-Americans. Occupy Atlanta has a very large African-American presence. Both movements are tied in with earlier protest movements and long standing local grievances. Both involved working class youth. That's why they were such a threat.

[thriller]

The interesting thing about Occupy Oakland and Occupy Atlanta is that they both have large numbers of people of color involved. Oakland has Asians, Hispanics, and African-Americans. Occupy Atlanta has a very large African-American presence. Both movements are tied in with earlier protest movements and long standing local grievances. Both involved working class youth. That's why they were such a threat.

Good point. Also police/'justice' department issues have been big in both areas. Atlanta was the battleground for Troy Davis, and Oakland was the area for the police execution of Oscar Grant.

[The Douche]

Pretty sure my friend was at the reconvergence protest, I know he was lucky enough to not be there for the first eviction, texted him, but no response yet, probably (hopefully) just because of time difference.

[xub3rn00dlex]

Lenina, do you think the reason cops attacked oakland and atlanta was because not only minorities are largely present, but also because minorities would fear retaliating against th police more because of the history of police violence against them? Do you think the police would view them as more passive because they would fear the inevitable lock-ups?

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Lenina, do you think the reason cops attacked oakland and atlanta was because not only minorities are largely present, but also because minorities would fear retaliating against th police more because of the history of police violence against them? Do you think the police would view them as more passive because they would fear the inevitable lock-ups?

Possibly, minorities are an easy target and are more vulnerable. I think the ruling class is also worried about "racial minorities" and the multi-racial working class linking up and embedding within the Occupy movement, which so far is mostly white and more or less middle class.African-Americans and other groups have faced the oppression for many decades which everyone else is just starting to get a glimpse of. Obama has deported over a million undocumented workers. The ruling class wants to keep all of us divided, passive and scared.Oakland and Atlanta point to the beginning of something different, which is very worrisome to our corporate masters.

[A Marxist Historian]

The interesting thing about Occupy Oakland and Occupy Atlanta is that they both have large numbers of people of color involved. Oakland has Asians, Hispanics, and African-Americans. Occupy Atlanta has a very large African-American presence. Both movements are tied in with earlier protest movements and long standing local grievances. Both involved working class youth. That's why they were such a threat.

Exactly! I've been to Occupy Berkeley and Occupy Oakland. The difference is night and day.

But now that the precedent has been set for violence against the left, working class wing of the movement, if Mayor Quan can get away with this, who allegedly is a "supporter" of the movement, can Bloomberg be far behind?

Chicago was broken up a while back already, wasn't it?

-M.H.-

[The Douche]

Still haven't heard from my friend.

Turns out the guy who got shot in the head (non-lethal round) by the police at occupy oakland is an Iraq war vet and member of VFP. He's still in the hospital.

[PhoenixAsh]

He is in serious condition. From what I gather he is rumoured to have a skull fracture and swelling of the brain.

[PhoenixAsh]

This is the statement made by Quan:



October 25, 2011
7:30 am

Statement from Mayor Jean Quan about
today’s enforcement action

Many Oaklanders support the goals of the national Occupy Wall Street movement. We maintained daily communication with the protest0rs in Oakland.

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. Frank Ogawa Plaza will continue to be open as a free speech area from 6 am to 10 pm.

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 protestors who peacefully complied with city officials.

I commend Chief Jordan for a generally peaceful resolution to a situation that deteriorated and concerned our community. His leadership was critical in the successful execution of this operation. City Administrator Deanna Santana developed the plan and secured mutual aid from other departments and the State of California. She will direct departmental teams, including safety, public works, communications, to restore conditions at the Plaza so that it is available for public use.

The City welcomes all Oaklanders to continue to use the Plaza during daylight hours for peaceful protest.




As the time of this writing it is up to 72 likes.

5845 comments 98% of which are disapproving.

edit: we are now at 8640 replies...time 4:14

A lot of people are really angry....the avaraage response on her page is between 200-300....so this really gives an indication how angry people are. Offcourse most of it is liberal mumbo-jumbo how they need a new mayor and how they are glad she isn't their mayor....which failling to recognize that this is an executed and ordered even which goes beyond the post of mayor.

[xub3rn00dlex]

Possibly, minorities are an easy target and are more vulnerable. I think the ruling class is also worried about "racial minorities" and the multi-racial working class linking up and embedding within the Occupy movement, which so far is mostly white and more or less middle class.African-Americans and other groups have faced the oppression for many decades which everyone else is just starting to get a glimpse of. Obama has deported over a million undocumented workers. The ruling class wants to keep all of us divided, passive and scared.Oakland and Atlanta point to the beginning of something different, which is very worrisome to our corporate masters.

Thank you. I completely agree that they are trying to keep us divided, since if we constantly squabble amongst each other over petty shit like skin color ot keeps our minds off of the real issues. I was wondering whether the crackdown in oakland had to do with intimidating the population against protesting, especially considering the constant intimidation minorites go through by the police. Thank you again for clearing it up.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Im sure police are now praying he doesn't die. Because i know only 'god' may have mercy upon them.

[El Rojo]

ACAB. from north to south, east to west, the fight goes on, as the system unravels

solidarity from the UK

[R_P_A_S]

There's currently some petitions in progressed to recall Mayor Quan. I believe they need 70 signatures of Oakland residents (which they already got) and then they need up to 20,000 in 160 days or less..

[PhoenixAsh]

For those who go to the protests when there is a confrontation expected:

- do not wear nylon or synthetic clothing. That shit melts and it will hurt you.

- wear protective goggles to protect you eyes. If they are not airtight make them so with ducked tape (not ideal) or use construction kit/glue to make them so. Swim goggles are the best. Use spit (the greener the cleaner) to prevent fogging up the glasses.

- do not wear contacts!!!!

- Teargas sucks. Unless you have a gasmask or you Macgyvered one yourself (google it) then there is a common household ingeredient which MAY help lessen the effects for a few minutes: cider vinegar and lemon juice. Soak a towel in that shit and press it over your mouth and nose. It sucks...but believe me...it is better than the alternative.

- Wear thick shoes. Walking shoes, army boots...whatever. TIE THE LACES IN! You do NOT want to have to run only to trip on them.

- Wear thick fire or flame retardend gloves. Preferably.

- Take plenty of water! You WILL get dehydrated. You WILL need to drink a lot after teargas inhallation.

- Take babyshampoo with you to wash out your eyes later. Shit stings...but it will help against pepperspray and you can use it on exposed skin to wash the chemicals off. Water will not always do the trick (but it is better than nothing....unless it is salen water...which is fastly superior. You need a lot. Trust me.

- IF at all possible...take some construction earprotection. We have seen sound canons and this MAY help a little...it will also def help in part against flashbangs. Do not use those standard earplugs. THey will let the air through to slowely...and that will create a pressure difference.

- IF you have a job which will frown upon you attending. Then use facecover. As soon as you reach the demo. Do not take it off unless there is a very pressing reason to do so....you will get taped, you will get photographed. Better be safe than sorry.
If you do not have a mask...google T-shirt ninja mask.

- Dress down. Do not wear flashy shit. Wear urban, subdued colours: black, gery, brown. Try to not wear distinguishing clothing with distinguishing marks. Makes you easier to identify from foootage.

- DO NOT PICK UP GASCANISTERS...shit is freaking hot....so if you do use fireretardend gloves.

- DO NOT PICK UP UNEXPLODED GASCANNISTERS...at all...unless your hands are made of titanium. Shit will explode unexpectedly.



This is what to expect from teargas:

* burning in the eyes, tearing up of eyes & in extreme cases: temporary blindness (which may last a couple of minutes or a few hours)

* thickening of throat, irritation of throat, coughing

* difficulty breathing up to point of feeling like you are chocking

* runny nose...and irritated nose...severe itching or burning sensation in nose

* drooling...believe me...you will drool more than a toddler on a sugar rush...

* rush of adrenaline...which will cause excessive emotions

* teargas these days is not just the gass that affects your mucus membrane. THere is also a component added which will increase a sense of disorrientation and panic.


DO NOT PANIC.... STOP > THINK > ACT ...which is get the fuck out of there.
This is easier said and done...and I still panic every fucking time.

Find as soon as possible escape routes when you arrive (remember you are in a crowd...and the crowd will all scatter...so a narrow allly may seem klike a good idea...but when 100 people have that same good idea....well...kind of defeats the purpose. And find where the wind is blowing from and too. Keep track of that. Teargas is not stationary....it will move with the wind.



Do not take your own phone. Or if you do empty it. Have your lawyers number/the groups lawyers number written in waterproof ink on your body. Remember you will sweat...so do it twice on two different locations. Top of shoulders will sweat little in comparison to the inside of your tights. Do not take expensive equipment....unless you are needing those for a specific job.

Take some food.

Preferably do not take anything you can not ditch.

[ellipsis]

OccupySF is facing possible eviction tonight. Wish me luck.

[Susurrus]

Also the people trying to help him. Also he's a Marine vet.


Last 30 secs of this one(title incorrect, its a guy)
fx036_m6HUA

Also this one.
cMUgPTCgwcQ

[Rocky Rococo]

wow, i wouldnt have thought that they fear the ows movement that much that they would crack on them in this fashion. solidarity to all who were there and hopefully no one got seriously injured.



ah so, the right for demonstration is only accaptable during certain times. well i hope that these actions and statements like the ones from the mayor help the occupy movement to become more radical.

ps: fuck the cops!

Yep, every time they ratchet up the repression the more the Occupy movement convinces me that their strategy IS sound, that it IS working, and that it counts on a system spoiled by the lack of any sustained resistance for decades to overreact when it feels the littlest pea of Occupy under its plush mattresses.

[PhoenixAsh]

OccupySF is facing possible eviction tonight. Wish me luck.

Wishing you luck from Holland! Stay strong, stay safe! Kick ass...

[Rocky Rococo]

OccupySF is facing possible eviction tonight. Wish me luck.

Thanks for standing strong TRS.

[LeftAtheist]

What power mad scum they are.

[PhoenixAsh]

watch this:


Liberal but full of anger

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106209295280626219515/posts/PosMaVLJy8n

[rararoadrunner]

Here's what I posted to Railroad Workers United, Transportation Workers' Solidarity Committee, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Together, and the committees of our local Occupy Riverside:


Here it is: naked repression (as some of us expected).
This is the test to which the unions will be put: will the Oakland (and, optimally, all Bay Area) unions strike and join the Oakland Occupation, demanding an end to the repression, or not?
If they do, we, the 99%, will win; if not, we will lose. It's really that simple, in my view.
We shall see, shan't we?
Hasta pronto, y a la victoria, siempre, MKO.

[PhoenixAsh]

(10-26) 19:45 PDT Oakland -- Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, who is being criticized from all sides for a police sweep of the Occupy Oakland encampment, said Wednesday she was not involved in the planning and did not even know when the action was going to take place.

The decision to raid the camp outside City Hall was made by City Administrator Deanna Santana on Oct. 19 with consultation from Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan after campers repeatedly blocked paramedics and police from entering the camp despite reports of violence and injuries.

Quan told a news conference at City Hall on Wednesday that her input on the raid was limited.

"I only asked the chief to do one thing: to do it when it was the safest for both the police and the demonstrators," she said.

The mayor said "I don't know everything" when asked by reporters if she was satisfied with how police conducted the sweep. She said she spent Wednesday meeting with community groups.

She also defended "99 percent" of police officers "who took a lot of abuse" and who "have really been trying to re-establish that connection with the community." But she said she asked Jordan to investigate reports of excessive force and wants a community police review board to look into the police actions.

Tuesday morning's police raid was the city's biggest law enforcement action since Quan took office this year. But Quan said she took a red-eye flight Sunday night to Washington D.C. for a scheduled meeting and returned to Oakland at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Seventeen law enforcement agencies and hundreds of officers cleared out a squatter-city at City Hall's main plaza in the predawn hours. Santana said campers' unwillingness to address reports of violence, sexual assault, defecation and open flames prompted the sweep.

Even though the morning raid involved no reported injuries, the evening was different. Protesters gathered to retake the plaza but were blocked by police. Protesters hurled paint, bottles, rocks and chemicals at officers, to which police responded with tear gas.

On Tuesday, protesters showed wounds that seemed to indicate police use of nonlethal projectiles, like rubber bullets and bean bags.

Santana said she and Jordan decided on the 3 a.m. Tuesday morning time because that's when they anticipated the fewest campers.

"We wanted the minimum impact," Santana said in an interview.

Quan, however, said she did not know that Santana and Jordan had planned the raid for Tuesday morning and, in fact, "I didn't think it was going to be last night."

Quan said she kept in contact over the phone and via text messages.

Quan's statements that she played a deferential role in the sweep contrast with the fact that many view her as the main person responsible.

Critics said she had been indecisive, allowing the encampment to grow out of control. Supporters of the mayor said she betrayed them.

When city officials held a news conference Tuesday to talk about the police raid, Quan wasn't there. Instead, Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente defended the police action as "absolutely necessary" and added that "we have absolutely no choice."

When it came to overnight camping in the plaza, De La Fuente said, "the mayor should have put a stop from the beginning" and forced a police action that would have been less severe had it occurred earlier.

Among Quan's supporters, there is palpable sense of anger given her long activist history. Dan Siegel, Quan's unpaid legal adviser, became friends with her and her husband in 1969, when all three were fighting to create an ethnic studies program at UC Berkeley. Students boycotted classes for weeks.

"I oppose the takeover of the plaza" by police, said Siegel, who took part in Tuesday night's protest. He said he may resign because of the disagreement.

When Quan was running for mayor she took part in a July 2010 protest regarding the killing of an unarmed passenger by a BART officer. Quan locked arms with fellow Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan and others near City Hall to form a barrier between police and people protesting the verdict. Whether Quan and Kaplan acted as peacemakers or obstructers of police is contested. But it's a scene Occupy Oakland supporters haven't forgotten.

At that demonstration, "she was in the front line between cops and protesters," said Emiliano Huet-Vaughn, 28, a UC Berkeley PhD candidate in economics who voted for Quan. "It makes such a difference being in the seat of power. Now she's dispatching cops to beat people up ... she's turned on the people."



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/26/BAMD1LMMA0.DTL#ixzz1bxP2cf38

[Rusty Shackleford]

Aerial livestream of Occupy SF right now. Looks like OSF is marching.

to where i dont know.Im worried there might be a kettle in the works.

http://emergencystream.com/video_streams/CA/SanFrancisco3.html

[ellipsis]

Aerial livestream of Occupy SF right now. Looks like OSF is marching.

to where i dont know.Im worried there might be a kettle in the works.

http://emergencystream.com/video_streams/CA/SanFrancisco3.html

I left around 1:30am, no police on scene yet. Police deployed but not driving towards the camp now....

[ВАЛТЕР]

Zh_p8iRa7cg

Shit got pretty real...

Also, look at the way they toss that poor girl...she's a third of their size and their showing off their force on her...:(

[xub3rn00dlex]

There was a march of solidarity here in nyc during the night to show suppor to the occupy oakland movement. Reportedly 10 people hae been arrested.

[Sasha]

video of the vet getting shot: 9lbbWAgBy7E

[Jimmie Higgins]

The city, the cops - they fucked up. The city is backpedaling, the interim police chief is being thrown under the bus and the occupation is more popular than ever and getting more organized.

The city will have to figure out a new strategy, but for now they will have to back-off (at least I imagine they will if they are smart) and let occupy oakland try to shut down the city in a general strike. If the city isn't smart and they try any shit while rank and file teachers and nurses and dockworkers are marching, then we could see a real old school general strike develop.

Although the GAs have been bigger than ever, one of the strange things is how people are still defending the cops. At the first GA after the crackdown, some of the first few speakers talked about how "cops are the 99%" "we have to show the cops what they don't understand - love" and "we need to be peaceful and not attack the cops". Who the fuck are these people - do they have access to youtube if they weren't there themselves? Shit! We did nothing to provoke the police, they had been planning exactly this for over a week. They wanted to break up the camp and use such overwhelming force that it would send a collective chill down the spines of the entire occupy movement, but instead, like in NYC, the have failed and we have become stronger for it.

[Rocky Rococo]

Jimmie, since you're on the ground there, what do you think the likeliest outlook for the "general strike" is at this time?


The city, the cops - they fucked up. The city is backpedaling, the interim police chief is being thrown under the bus and the occupation is more popular than ever and getting more organized.

The city will have to figure out a new strategy, but for now they will have to back-off (at least I imagine they will if they are smart) and let occupy oakland try to shut down the city in a general strike. If the city isn't smart and they try any shit while rank and file teachers and nurses and dockworkers are marching, then we could see a real old school general strike develop.

Although the GAs have been bigger than ever, one of the strange things is how people are still defending the cops. At the first GA after the crackdown, some of the first few speakers talked about how "cops are the 99%" "we have to show the cops what they don't understand - love" and "we need to be peaceful and not attack the cops". Who the fuck are these people - do they have access to youtube if they weren't there themselves? Shit! We did nothing to provoke the police, they had been planning exactly this for over a week. They wanted to break up the camp and use such overwhelming force that it would send a collective chill down the spines of the entire occupy movement, but instead, like in NYC, the have failed and we have become stronger for it.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I'm expecting a big rally and march involving more labor than in the past. I'm hoping for more, but really unless the police try and attack the rally while ILWU and other workers are out, I doubt it will immediately become what people might describe as a real general strike. But things are moving quickly and we will see.

[ellipsis]

Wishing you luck from Holland! Stay strong, stay safe! Kick ass...

It wad a long anxious night, but the cops called off their offensive, maybe because two tweeters were following them and relaying their movement, or maybe because there were 1000+ people ready to defend the encampment... Or something else entirely.

[Martin Blank]

Last word I heard after the Oakland speak out tonight was that cops were beginning to mass near the Plaza. Don't know if they are there to have a go at the encampment again, or to confront the march taking place right now.

[ellipsis]

Last word I heard after the Oakland speak out tonight was that cops were beginning to mass near the Plaza. Don't know if they are there to have a go at the encampment again, or to confront the march taking place right now.

I just got a call from a comrade on the ground there, 700 people are blocking four lanes of traffic on broadway.

[Rusty Shackleford]

i was marching with occupy oakland last night from 8 to about 11. Nothing really happened. there were only a handful of police barricades. And even blocking traffic and marching into it, people seem to actually honk not out of anger but in support.