Police Tear Down Tents at Occupy Oakland
- Posted on November 14, 2011 at 9:48am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
- Print »
- Email »
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Riot-clad law enforcement officers cleared out Oakland’s weeks-old anti-Wall Street encampment just before dawn Monday, arresting Occupy demonstrators and removing tents from a downtown plaza after issuing several warnings over the weekend.
Police break up an encampment for a Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. (Photo: AP)
Protesters appeared to put up little resistance and officers could be seen calmly leading some demonstrators away in plastic handcuffs. Warnings from authorities had been similar to those issued before officers used tear gas and bean bag projectiles to clear the encampment on Oct. 25.
Police made more than 20 arrests during Monday’s raid, Mayor Jean Quan said.
After officers blocked off the streets surrounding Frank Ogawa Plaza, some demonstrators gathered near the barricades and vowed to return.
“I don‘t see how they’re going to disperse us,” 30-year-old Ohad Meyer said. “There are thousands of people who are going to come back.”
The action came a day after police drove hundreds of anti-Wall Street demonstrators from weeks-old encampments in Portland, arresting more than 50 people.
Oakland officials stepped up calls for an end to their city’s encampment after a man was shot and killed Thursday near the plaza. Police issued a fourth cease and desist order Sunday night telling demonstrators they couldn’t camp there.
Police in Oakland began clearing out a weeks-old encampment early Monday after issuing several warnings to Occupy demonstrators. (AP Photo: Paul Sakuma)
Quan had allowed protesters to reclaim the disbanded site after facing criticism following the Oct. 25 raid. The camp grew substantially afterward, although city officials said on Sunday the number of tents has dropped by about 30 to 150 since Nov. 8.
“We really tried to make this a safe and peaceful day,” Quan told The Associated Press after the tents were taken down Monday. “Even though there are those who disagree with my decision, we hope it is peaceful. We need them to honor and respect our city and keep it safe.”
One protester captured Quan touring the raided encampment later in the morning, and he voiced his displeasure:
[Content warning: contains graphic language]
Protesters would be allowed to return to the plaza after the tents were cleared out, but they wouldn’t be allowed to spend the night, the mayor said.
“We’ve been consistent that they can use it as a free speech location,” she said. “They can gather tonight, but no camping is allowed.”
On Sunday, friends confirmed that an Iraq War veteran who was injured in the Oct. 25 raid, Scott Olsen, has been released from the hospital. Olsen, who suffered a skull fracture, became a rallying point for protesters nationwide.
Dottie Guy of Iraq Veterans Against the War said Sunday Olsen was released last week. He can now read and write, but still has trouble talking, she added.
Officials across the country have been urging an end to similar gatherings in the wake of three deaths in different cities, including two deaths by gunfire.
Demands for Oakland protesters to pack up increased after a man was shot and killed Thursday near the encampment site.
Protesters had said that there was no connection between the shooting and the camp. But police Sunday night identified the slain man as 25-year-old Kayode Ola Foster of Oakland, saying his family confirmed he had been staying at the plaza.
Police officer Johnna Watson said witnesses have told police that one of two suspects in the shooting had also been a frequent resident at the plaza. The suspects‘ names haven’t been released.
Investigators suspect that the shooting resulted from a fight between two groups of men.
This post has been updated.
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 591 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 415 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 382 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 376 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 415 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 382 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 151 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know 100 Comments- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 303 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (86)
JLGunner
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 12:00pmI feel bad for the police. They had to clean up after these slobs. How degrading.
Report Post »db321
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 1:34pmPuts a whole new meaning to “clean up the streets” – I hope it is a labor of Love for the Police.
Report Post »quickstudy
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 2:46pmThe “useful idiots” knew the police were coming in to clear things out but still left so many tents? Tents aren’t exactly cheap. They run 50-75 dollars for a good sized one. Goes to show how irresponsible these slobs are.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 4:27pmThey shouyld be arrested for disturbing the peace, loitering, littering, property damage, etc. Then they should be have to do community service and clean up their own darn mess or face jail time. Also the city should sue OWS for damages.
Report Post »karen162
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 7:20pmI don’t understand how anyone in this country could look at these camps and possibly think anything good is coming from such filth. I don’t get it.
As for the tents costing $50-$75 for a small one, it goes to show these kids have money to waste.
I’m surprised the Mayor did this. I thought she was firmly in their back pocket, kissing their butts? What happened? LOL!
Report Post »Amos37
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 7:59pmthey are definitely doing this in the wrong way, and many times for the wrong reason. however, their point is coming across: no matter how bad the middle and lower class are treated, the upper class still lives in safety. they have the american government to support them.
Report Post »standupbcounted
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 4:21pmThey need to bring in pooper scoopers (heavy equitment-front end loaders) to insure the safety of the police from the unsanitary conditions and syringes etc. They should use these at every OWS drug and sex party. They have ruined business and destroyed property and it is time to put an end to this socialist movement. Salt Lake City did it right…pooper scoopers and no more tents.
Report Post »obfusk8
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:57amThis is a no-brainer. Arrest them and give them a Sheriff Joe punishment … make the filthy maggots clean up the mess that they made. Every scrap of litter. Every pile of excrement (including some of them). Put the parks back in the same or better condition than the “protesters” found them. You know, the way TEA Party attendees leave everything. Maybe we could teach these spoiled little brats some manners that their parents neglected to teach them. Then, figure out the cost to the cities in police overtime and that becomes their collective fine. Why should the taxpayers have to foot the bill for protecting and cleaning up after the FLEA Party?
Report Post »standupbcounted
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 4:25pmSeems fair to me. Where is the money coming from to keep them eating, George Soros and SEIU?
Report Post »Kathy H
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:55amLiving here in AZ. what they need to do is what we do when we have wild fires, get some of the helicopters and have them fill the buckets with water and when evening comes and it start to cool down, due a couple of fly overs releasing the water over them..
Report Post »Or my second thought is build a fence all around them and when they can’t come and go as they please they might leave and go home.. This they can do in NY, Ca, Wa., etc..
armymp
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 3:16pmI love the idea about water drops from helicopters, although disinfectant would be more appropriate : )
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 5:16amAdd a few bottles of liquid soap.
OMG
Report Post »teddyc73
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:52amWhile its funny (barely) in the comments section to make jokes about what they should do with the protesters and connect them to President Obama using childish name for him like “Obummer” and “Odumba” or whatever (You may not like his polices, I dont, but remember he is still the President) but the truth is these protests are incredibly disturbing. To think so many people believe this stuff is just frightening and sad. It makes me worry about the future of our country when so many young minds have been corrupted. Unfortunately a lot of what these disturbed individuals believe comes right from the liberal playbook. Very sad indeed. I just keep telling myself this is a small group of people and good and common sense will prevail….I hope.
Report Post »taxwarrior
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:58amYes be respectful. No name calling it just makes us look bad.
Notice they finally acted on the Obamaville after 4 warnings. OBAMA’S ARMY gets such a pass because many politicians want to see revolution in the streets.
Now if the mayor of NYNY would grow a pair maybe we could move off this topic.
Report Post »takingonissues.com
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 2:07pmDitto that, it is very disturbing that there “seem” to be so many young minds of pure mush. Have hope though, the main street media always makes it appear to be worse than it is and they make the groups seem larger than they actually are. Common sense will previl…fire Obama in 2012. http://www.takingonissues.com
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:44amBring in the hazmat team and the CDC. I’m sure these “camps” are level 4 hot zones requiring biocontainment suits and everything…….
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:41amMore Shovel Ready Jobs from Obama!! Shoveling up all this crap!
Report Post »RealAmerican2
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:27amFinally! It’s time for the police all over America to clean up these encampments! The cause has lost it’s mojo and has become a anarchist movement not against Wall Street, but against rule and law of this country. Rape, violence, drugs, murder, the destruction of property has all become too much and it’s time to shut these tent cities down! So many Oakland residents and merchants have been begging for something to be done about what’s been going on there now for weeks. Their city is being ravaged, their merchants have lost customers, the downtown has basically been taken over by people who claim they want things in this country to be better, yet they’re making that city considerably worse. On a good day, Oakland is a city that has many challenges, and these riots are not helping. Oakland can’t even afford the police officers it employs, let alone the overtime that now has to be paid (and rightly so) for the 24/7 patrolling of that encampment. It’s time to get the street cleaner, clean up the Occupy BS, and reclaim downtown Oakland!
Report Post »Ohio Girl
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:24amProtesting is one thing. But once you start taking up residence is public places there are problems and issues that need to be addressed. These people have the right to be heard not a right put a tent anywhere you please. I can’t even put in a blow up five foot deep pool in my backyard without a five foot fence to go around it.
Report Post »armymp
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 3:23pmExactly. They have a gross misunderstanding of the 1st amendment. Since when does freedom of speech include pitching tents and building structures on public property.
Report Post »FreedbyTruth
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:17amThey should be there charging these morons with littering and every other charge they can think of. If these people want the government in control of every part of their lives, they need to start to feel just the slightest bit of that pain.
Report Post »Oil_Robb
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:21amTwo words……..Filthy Pigs
Report Post »schmite123oh
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 1:43pmno kidding, charge them for littering, then they can contribute to the government payroll the love to defend.
Report Post »GrumpyCat
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:15amIIRC South Africa should have some mob control hardware we could borrow?
Report Post »Down2TheC
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:19amI keep telling them to bring out the fire hoses.
Report Post »A_VT_PREPPER
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:14amThey can PEACEFULLY protest all they want, they have that right, but they need to go home at the end of the day. They do not have a right to “squat” on public property in tents and I have not heard anything good coming out of these Occupy movements across the U.S. I hear about attacks on police officers, women and men being attacked and raped, shootings, people committing suicide, illegal substances. It is they who should be protested. I am against free speech, and peaceful demonstration, but this movement is becoming more and more violent and has the backing of the unions and the likes of George Soros.
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:14ammost of this “kids” have not been taught that in AMERICA if you wanna make the kind of money these bankers and other millionaries and billionaires make simply pay your dues work hard and lo and behold your can achieve it. instead we have these loser professors who indoctrinate these young mush heads the opposite. it’s the professors who should be shouldering the burden and not the rest of us decent hard working people who just wanna take care of our families and the such…..
Report Post »BOGOTSTOGO
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:08amHopefully Mommy didn’t rent out your basement room while you were gone.
Report Post »TheycallmeJoker
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:22amThere’s always public houseing for the trash down town. They could kick out the single mothers you know they “need” it more with all that college debt. that they choose to take. Throw some Patchouli Oil on a garbage dump and you have the “99”. Yes mommy and daddy liberal will p/u up the bill lmao! Im with you on that.
Report Post »Petire
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:08amYay! exercising the law and some common sense! I like it!
Report Post »ENTITLEMENTSBLOW
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:56amHaha time to go back to your jobs losers. Oh wait, thats right, you refuse to get a job!
Report Post »schlepnier
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:48am“I don‘t see how they’re going to disperse us,” said Ohad Meyer, 30, of Oakland. “There are thousands of people who are going to come back.”
It’s called pepper spray, tear gas, water cannnons and if neccisary a little backside fo the asp…..silly hippy should be better informed…oh wait they obviously are already clueless in the first place.
Eliasim
Report Post »the only way america falls is if we let these useful idiots of the politically correct entitlement generation try to turn us into their utopian marxist based society founded on principles of government that already have a proven track record of failure.
SON OF JEFFERSON
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:39amIf we divided all the money evenly among the 99% , within a year they would all be broke again,
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:37amAnd this is why they are calling this time the “American Fall.“ Because this is them smacking Americans with their ”Left-hand” to numb Americans, and is in a way making your spirit fall. Then over the holidays people will be forgetting about “Occupy” as people go about their business. People are watching the police “Be allowed” to remove the occupiers and we will feel protected. Then, in the spring and early summer will come the “American Spring.” And all those same people will rise-up again, and that time it won’t just stop.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:41amAnd many more people will riot in the spring, as they sock us with a hard-right to knock us out.
Report Post »donedunn
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 5:44pmWell that‘s the goal isn’t it? To foment violence and to try to illicit a response from the authoritiies? It’s not really about positive change. Its about troublemaking for the sake of troublemaking. Well that should not be condoned. That’s not what the 1st Ammendment is for. You want to form groups to peacefully try to convince people that socialism and communism is the best socio-economic model, go ahead and do that. But you can’t because you know it will be rejected. So instead you resort to the kind of filth we have seen from the occupiers.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:34amPlease provide quality video when the national guard is called into clean-out Occupy Wall Street
Report Post »Outlaw_Josey_Wales
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:11amJust like the old days of 1968, tanks in the streets of Detroit Michigan.
Report Post »jagr1850
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:34amwhen they try to come back and occupy again demand they apply for a permit, insurance and only put on their tantrum show for a limit of 1 hour. and leave the area clean instead of trashing it.
Report Post »chuck_wagon
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:22amAre those trolls still out there? I hadn’t noticed.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:37amNever a band of pirannahs around when the trolls are out for bait.
Report Post »ares338
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:20amTime to go annoy someone else I guess! I’m sure the sweet kids will be missed. Really, they were quite harmless!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:13amThese protesters howl about police tactics and police state when the officers gave four notices to clear out and then moved in, four notices over several days of time to clear out…how the howling will now commense from the ‘useful idiots’ and may the courts deal with them via heavy fines and where appropriate jail time.
Give these bands warning to clear out where the law is being violated, and then clean them out, those who break the law need to be dealt with in the courts.
Report Post »chuck_wagon
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:50amThe only problem with that is we taxpayers will have to foot the bill for their stay in prison. A better solution will be to bus the transients to Pelosi’s district.
Report Post »8jrts
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 11:20amChuck!!! what a WONDERFUL Idea!!! Let them eat tuna!!
Report Post »FranklinK
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:08amI would have made all of them swim through a tank of sheep dip as they were chased away.
Report Post »AZGodGoldGuns
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:03amI wonder if these protestors will want to claim the drugs, weapons and anti-government pamphlets that were found in tents and backpacks.
http://www.conspiracyofcrisis.com
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 10:18amThey are also going to need to fumigate the grounds.
Report Post »