Clash on Campus: Police Use Batons On Swarming Occupy Berkeley Students
- Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:41am by
Buck Sexton
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Police in riot gear clash with student activists in front of Sproul Hall on the University of California at Berkeley campus Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, in Berkeley, Calif. Student activists attempted to set up an "Occupy Cal" camp on campus despite official warnings that such encampments are not allowed. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
(The Blaze/AP) — Dozens of police in riot gear confronted anti-Wall Street protesters at the University of California at Berkeley as the demonstrators tried to establish an encampment on campus.
Below is video of the confrontation Wednesday:
Television news footage from outside the university’s main administration building late Wednesday night showed officers pulling people off the steps and nudging others with batons as the crowd chanted, “We are the 99 percent!“ and ”Stop Beating Students!”
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the officers eventually formed a perimeter around the steps of the building, but there was no word of any arrests in the action by early Thursday.
As the evening wore on, the crowd appeared to be swelling as protesters debated whether to stay overnight. The student newspaper The Daily Californian reported that some people from the Occupy Oakland protest were joining the Berkeley demonstrators.
The university reported earlier Wednesday evening that an administrator had told the protesters they could stay around the clock for a week, but only if they didn’t pitch tents, use stoves or other items that would suggest people were sleeping there.
The protesters voted not to comply with the demand and to go ahead with setting up a tent site they dubbed “Occupy Cal” to protest financial policies they blame for causing deep cuts in higher education spending.
Earlier in the day, campus police assisted by Alameda County sheriff’s deputies dismantled a small encampment students had set up near Sproul Hall despite official warnings that such encampments would not be allowed.
The move to create a campus off-shoot of the Occupy Wall Street camps around the country came after hundreds of students, teachers and Berkeley residents rallied on campus before marching peacefully to a Bank of America branch.
A smaller group pitched at least eight tents next to Sproul Plaza before police broke through a line of protesters encircling the camp site and tore down the tents. They handcuffed protesters who resisted as others shouted, “Put down your guns!”
Here is more video of police dealing with the protestors, courtesy of the Associated Press:
The university reported on its web site that seven people, six students and one faculty member, had been arrested on charges of resisting and delaying a peace office in the performance of their duties and/or failure to disperse. One of the seven also was charged with striking an officer.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Harry Le Grande came out to negotiate, telling camp participants they could stay but only with certain conditions, such as not sleeping at the site or using sound amplifiers.
“The university supports the efforts of any group to speak out freely, but everyone is expected to follow campus policies, the law, and respect the rights of others to go to class, to teach, to do their work,” campus spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said.
Shadrick Small, 25, a UC Berkeley graduate student in sociology, was among the protesters trying to block police from dismantling the camp.
“It just seems unnecessary. We weren’t doing anything. We were just standing there with a bunch of tents,” Small said. “We’re not vandalizing. We’re not burning anything. And their first response is just to come in and start hitting people. The reaction is just over the top. It’s an overreaction.”
Here is an overview of the Occupy Berkeley movement and the University’s response to it, courtesy of KGO-TV:




















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Comments (154)
Unix
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:24amWhen you start BEING students and stop being anti-capitalist rioters, maybe they will stop beating you! What the hell are our schools teaching our young today? that communism is a good thing – I say let’s go to these schools and start a protest there, and get these communists fired for subversion of our youth…every day I get more pissed off! What happens when they start burning things down?
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:21amMeh, the police are following what was authorized by the mayor…
They don’t wear all of that gear for nothing…they’ve (the police) have been taking more of it than they have been dishing it out.
I’d not put up with for one moment. But with today’s environment you have to get hit at least three times before hitting back…and you better have a video to back it up…sheesh.
Report Post »FEMALL
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:20amhttp://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/11/09/day-of-action/
Latest News
Day of Action underway at UC Berkeley
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‘Cycling for Parents’ workshop set for Nov. 18
taxwarrior
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:49amSo the Left Coast branch of OBAMA’S ARMY wants to set up an Obamaville.
Let them. The more the merrier. They all descend into chaos and anarchy and they are the best method of distinguishing between Obamaniks and Tea Partiers.
Report Post »Delta D-5-3
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:55amWhat a bunch of uesful idiots. And these fools are our supposed future?? Give me a break. They’ll be lucky to hold down a fast food joint job.
Report Post »MichiganPatriot
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:03pmHippies protesting????? Yep history does repeat itself, only thing missing is the special koolaid…but I’m sure they have something even better by now to help them “Keep it Real Man”
Report Post »Uncle Tom
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:24pmWhere is the National Guard? This is getting absurd.
Report Post »CLEttinger
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:29pmThere are consequences to actions, time for the youth of this country to understand this. If you want to disobey an order from police you will be forced to comply. If you can’t deal with those consequences, don’t do it!
Report Post »atechgeek
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:34pmHa ha ha ha ha .. these weenies don’t know what a fight is. This is so pathetic.
Report Post »mastice
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:45pm@Uncle Tom
Be careful – that’s what they want. Remember bottom up top down? (the bottom of society is tricked into rising up by the power players at the top, allowing those at the top to come down on society to further their control/power/etc)
The state governors and/or legislatures have been stripped of power (slowly) for a long time now. If someone on the federal level called up the National Guard in every state and declared martial law I doubt that any governor would really have the power to stop them anymore.
Let the local folks in blue handle it – they know how to do it better anyways. (no offense to the armed forces – I have nothing but the utmost respect for them – but this isn’t something they should be involved in)
Report Post »SavingtheRepublic.com
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:24pm~^~v~~^~~v~^~
Yep Mastice is right. I have been saying that for a while now. They want an event a crisis so Pharaoh Obama can step in and seize power under PDD51.
This vid is all over the place and Im getting quite annoyed with all the occupy footage. We are never seeing what leads up to the physical conflict. The police in this day and age know they cant just start cracking heads b/c it will get caught on cam lead to a huge scandal, loss of job(s), lawsuits etc. Yet this footage makes it look like they all of a sudden decided to start cracking heads. We know these occupy terrorists are starting a lot of the violence taking place WHERE IS THE FOOTAGE? I went looking for “occupy attacks police” and its all the reverse in results not even the known footage of cops getting pushed off motorcycles is coming up!
Now before anyone answers take note the cops are filming this stuff too! Yea! Go back watch this and other vids they have ppl with cams so why arent we seeing it? Surely there must be others outside of LE that have the whole thing who arent corrupt or siding with the media and occupy terrorists?
If anyone has any footage showing the occupiers drawing first blood please send me the links and make sure you make hard copies. THE NET IS BEING SCRUBBED and the narrative that the police are the bad guys is in full effect! http://SavingtheRepublic.com
Report Post »VoteBushIn12
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 5:16pm@MichiganPatriot
Hippies protesting?
If by hippies you mean some of the most intelligent students, attending an internationally acclaimed institution for engineering and business, who have the option of graduating and becoming YOUR boss within 4 years… Are those the hippies you are referring to?
These aren’t pot smoking morons – these are geniuses that happen to smoke pot.
Get your act straight.
Report Post »faithkills
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 9:32pmNote he said “They tried to keep us back.. uh we tried to hold our ground”
They knew what they were doing.
Report Post »athousandmillion
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:18pmOccupy wall street is sybolic of how difficult liberty can be. We might not like what their message is, yet they have the right to speak. In those regards, we, as citizens, need to stand together to protect each others rights. They media tries and succeeds to divide us anyway they can, black, white, gay, straight, smoker, non smoker, left, right, ect. Because our only true power is through unity. The problem with the occupy panzies is they do not exercise their second amendment rights. Just imagine, what will the police do when five thousand armed citizens say we are not going to be assulted by you today? Start a war? There are 300 million citizens in the U.S. and sheep as they are allow them selves to be hearded by a few sheep dogs. Pathetic!
Report Post »athousandmillion
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:48pmThe media attempts to and succeeds at dividing us any way they can. Black, white, gay, straight,smoker, non smoker, ect. We may not agree with what the occupiers are saying yet they do have the right to say it. In this regard all of us as citzens should rush to defend each others constitutional rights before all of us lose our rights. Our true power is unity. The problem with the occupy people is they do not exercise their second amendment rights. Just imagine, what will the police do when five thousand armed citizens say we are not going to be assulted by you today? Start a war? There are 300 million citizens in the U.S. and sheep as they are allow them selves to be hearded by a few sheep dogs. Pathetic!
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on November 11, 2011 at 8:42amStop beating students??? Since when does the fact your attending college make you any less threatening a mob??? Lets see, they were violating the rules setting up an encampment, refusing lawful police orders to dispurse, surrounding the cops, engaging in verbal hostilities which can easily flare into physical hostilities. Police acted with restraint in my opinion. Put these people down. They openly call themselves, socialists, communists, anarchists, who wish to crash the financial system and bring down America. May not be the definition of treason, but it sounds like insurrection to me. Must be some laws to quash these maggots hard, coast to coast.
Report Post »RedneckJim
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:16amCops beating students. Casual online viewer smiling (just a little).
Report Post »ozchambers
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:24amHippie nostalgia.
Report Post »ishka4me
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:26amwhat is kind of funny, the banks the occupy movement uses is Wells Fargo. I guess they like the 24 hour service, wide variety of atms and ease of online banking. Waiting for journalists to report on this story. They haven’t reported much of anything in 2 months on this, but maybe, just maybe some young journalist can make a name for themself.
Report Post »DimmuBorgir
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:35amListening to Behemoth while watching the video was sweet.
BEAT DOWN THE HIPPIES!!!! \m/,
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:36amOne of the ironies of these mobs are that I have warned people one outcome which seems to be in the process of happening, is the progressives who want to “control the chaos” can lose that control and have the mobs turn on them just as rapidly.
Hope someone will post the video of the “Last chase of Michael Moore from the Mobs…”
Report Post »Jabber
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:51amExtreme Pinatas!
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:52amI wonder if they get free Kool-Aid?
Report Post »Republican1990
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:59amLMAO me too!!!!
Report Post »TexasHunter
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:09pmTo me it looks like the cops are doing what their parents should have done a long time ago.. Spoiled Brats. I hope the parents send them a Thank You letter for doing their jobs in the first place and because the brats are wasting there money. I am sure the police gave them fare warning to back up and stay at a distance. The police can not take the chance of getting over ran. The kids don’t listen so they suffer the consequences. May that be your lesson for the day.
Report Post »Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:27pmI’m more entertained by the thought of the professor getting the truncheon.
Report Post »mtcountrygrl
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 6:59pmI say let them “occupy” the colleges. It would serve them right, they created these idiots. In fact lets move all the “occupy” camps to college campuses. Then the rest of us won’t have to see them or deal with them. They can destroy and poop on there home institutions.
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on November 11, 2011 at 8:45ammtcountrygrl… I say let them “occupy” the colleges. It would serve them right, they created these idiots. In fact lets move all the “occupy” camps to college campuses. Then the rest of us won’t have to see them or deal with them. They can destroy and poop on there home institutions.
I like the way you think… But then again, I just love country girls too. Just saying.
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:15amWhy don’t we hear more about Stephen Lerner and the seiu. He was planning and touting this since last spring…and here it all is.
Report Post »Cannot someone in the republican party start coming to the microphone every day and bring these cockroaches out into the open???Along with Lerner’s close ties to emperor obama???
Boehner and mcconnel don’t have a complete sack between the two of them; they should have press conference after press conference about this and all the things obama is doing to our country.
There’s just under a year til Nov. 6th 2012…TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT and use your position to attack the administration!!
abbygirl1994
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:34amLerner is nothing but a yellow belly chicken.. he starts this strife, but you do not see him participate.. he is all mouth and instigation, but doesn’t have the ballz to do anything but stay at home and watch it unfold from his tv. That is how these people work.. God help us!
Report Post »Steve
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:39amThe Republicans haven’t the stones!. They’ve let Liberals pounce all over them while they constantly say. “My goof friend this and my good friend that. If there your friends then your in alignment of those who are destroying this country and both you and your good friend should be voted out!
With the exception of a few conservatives the voice of truth is censored.
What we needed were outside forces to change the way Washington does business. Palin and Cain were prime examples and we see how they were and are being falsely accused and personally attacked.
Report Post »THE.GATEKEEPER
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:12pmI.GASPAR don’t hold your breath. The Republican leadership just want to hold on to their career. Remember, students, congress of this generation had ‘bleeding hearts for parents. They are weak, gullible and insecure We need to re-name the Democratic Party to Progress/Socialist/Communist and replace the Republican Party with a third really conservative party, maybe ‘The Constitution Party:
Report Post »‘The Constitution Party
The Democrats and Republicans have squandered the Founders’ legacy of liberty and justice under the Constitution. Countless government officials in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government ignore their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.
Join the Constitution Party in its work to restore our government to its Constitutional limits.’
http://www.constitutionparty.com/
I don‘t belong to it but I’m thinking about it before its too late.
Delta D-5-3
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:14pmThese hippie radicals probably wish they were protesting in the 60′s so here they are now. Just goes to show you how stupid you could be and STILL get into college, lol. They wouldn’t have lasted 2 days in my army unit. There pathetic……..and i’m being kind.
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:13pmThe republicans are all cowards, there is no one to represent the actual people anymore. They work for the party and thats it.
Report Post »hightide
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:14amIf you don’t want to go to school, leave.But destruction of private property is against the law. I’ll bet daddy will not appreciate your actions.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:21amMaybe Occupy Oakland will move to Berkley and trash that place, too. Wouldn’t that be a nice turn of events?
Report Post »hightide
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:26amFine, shut down the school and fire all the professors, staff and student workers. That will really help the job situation, eh? Oh and shutting down a US Port is an act of war. The mayor needs to be charged with treason for allowing it and encouraging it to happen.
Stop the protests now…
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:29amI’ll bet daddy has a cow when he gets the bill for the destruction. (at least that’s the way it should happen)
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:45amI would bet that MANY of these protesters are going from place to place .. just to cause trouble and make it seem that their numbers are bigger than they are .. like the empty tents .. nobody “home”.
TEA!
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:19pmAll of those “protesters” need to sit down, shut up, and grow up. The world isn’t going to hand them a damn thing so they better get used to it. The grown ups running the real world won’t tolerate their tantrums and demands. Why are people entertaining them and pretending that they’re serious anyway? Why are cowardly politicians catering to them and allowing them to run amok like rabid, feral dogs? Put them all down and put an end to it for good. Creating havoc, preventing people from going to work and providing for their families, rioting in the streets, fighting with the cops, and leaving behind hazardous waste isn’t going to win them any friends or convert anyone to their way of thinking. I mean, who wants to befriend some slime ball who poops on your door step??
Report Post »geomann
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:12amTheir daddy should have beat them a long time ago…
Report Post »Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:21amWell, the police shoud give them the beating their parents never did….mushbrains, cause they just want to be…
Report Post »don young
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:12amThis is what they teach our children in universitys makes you wonder why they go if this is what they learn in universitys taught by 60s ratical professors.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:08amThis is simply Policing: attempting to establish order in an unruly mob (that could cause harm)! And, if someone gets hurt… then they made a poor choice in being there!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:42amLooks edited and trying to make the police look bad. I stand with the police — these agitators are out of line.
Report Post »GeorgeWashingtonslept here
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:07amWTH? Don’t these kids have class to go to? How do they not fail their courses? Geesh.
Report Post »Gamaliel
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:10amTheir Marxist professors are giving them extra credit for this.
Report Post »Gamaliel
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:05amThese fools are taking out loans for their “education”. Maybe if Mom and Dad had been allowed to spank them the cops wouldn’t have to.
Report Post »On The Bayou
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:04amWhen will the hot lead fly ? These ongoing protest are going to at some point over power the police and someone will be shot, it`s just a matter of time.
Report Post »SmallGovBigGuns
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:59ami am so ashamed of my generation
Report Post »ColoradoMaverick
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:59amIt’s almost comical how this whole Occupy everything movement is back firing on the liberal left wing loons. It will serve them right if the protesters burn the school down. I’m not condoning that or calling for that, I’m just saying you reap what you sow.
Report Post »pjmarshake
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:03amI’m just waiting for the soft sell that will come after America has had enough of the radicals. This will actually be worse than the riots because most people won’t see it for what it truely is…
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:59amWhat they have to follow campus polices? Oh, the horror.
Gee officer we aren’t doing anything wrong, we were just standing here and then these tents suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Frankly, any student who decided to break campus policies, fight with police, should have their academic standing questioned. I would tell them, they try to camp on campus and they are suspended from the college forever and any monies paid to date forfeited.
Report Post »ColoradoMaverick
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:01amIf they get kicked out of Berkeley, it will be the best thing that ever happened to them. They might actually get a real education elsewhere instead of getting a liberal lobotomy at Berkeley.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:02ambut that is not the liberal way, they will probably give them all a’s for showing how incompetent they really are,
Report Post »grudgywoof
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:58amStart Beating Students ha! that looks like fun.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:57amthe school gave in and said they could stay a week,but no tents no stoves, so they group of idiots said they would not go along with the rules, well what do you expect from little spoiled brat free loading pansies, the school deserves what they get for allowing them the right to stay at the park and they deserve what they get when the university itself is about as liberal as they come and their professors have taught the students to protest and demand also how to just say screw you,we will do what we want, you rip what you sew.
Report Post »vtxphantom
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:55amThey should have used pepper spray. It breaks up the crowd lots better than batons.
Report Post »grudgywoof
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:55amStart beating students Start Beating Students
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:55amYou knew Berkeley couldn’t stay out of this. I‘m surprised it’s taken this long.
Report Post »KangarooJack
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 11:12amThe people in charge were just waiting to shift the attention due to weather conditions.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 1:31pmThat’s a fact…Jack!
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:51amLet them tear the school down its a Libs. school- then they can set on the rumble for their class rooms.
Report Post »KangarooJack
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:49amI just don’t understand? (whine) We were just trying to set up some tents. We weren’t hurting anybody. (sniff sniff).
Hey, Occupy (insert location) Protesters. Why don’t you BUY some property and set up all the tents you want????? Call your Mom & Dad and ask for more money. They are paying for your College, apt./dorm, food, upkeep {LOL}, why not ask them to pay for your tents-cold weather sleeping bags-cab fare to ferry you back to your apt. to warm up & take a shower, etc.
At this point, any parent that continues to support their “Lil Protester” should perhaps re-think their thinking. Personally have met many a person such as these….they put your azz in a Nursing Home ASAP and sell your belongings out from under you. All because you OWE THEM.
Report Post »Oraclevoiceofreason
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:49amGOOOOOD beat them and send them back to class – I hope they all get F grades . idiots
Report Post »chasbronson
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:49amWhat! Berkeley doesn’t want anything to do with the trash they have created?I hope they cost them millions in damage like they are the taxpayers.That woulkd be poetic justice.
Report Post »mtnclimberjim
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:57amThis is where all the OWS crowds need to be. I can’t wait for more butts kicked, Punk a$$es
Report Post »chasbronson
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:46amHa ha ha ! The chickens have comee home to roost!
Report Post »SanDiegoCountyCitizen
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:58amYup!
Report Post »The university should cut the participating professors salary’s to match the US average income, since they are all about social justice. I’d love to the see the faces of those Marxist professors when they see their next paychecks!
commonsenseguy
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 10:59amdon’t insult the chickens, these idiots are what come out of the chickens butt.
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on November 10, 2011 at 12:08pmHey SandDiego, when are we gonna march on the capitol? Lets get on freedomworks and get something going!n The rest of us that have the ***** MUST do something to save our state.
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