#OccupyOakland Protestors Clash with Police
#OccupyOakland at approx. 7:30pm, Oct. 26
[10:06 p.m. Update below]
At 4 A.M. yesterday morning, police moved in to remove Occupy Oakland protestors from Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of Oakland’s City Hall. Last night, protestors attempted to return to the Plaza and police repelled them with tear gas and ‘beanbags’. Certain reports said they also used rubber bullets and flashbang grenades. Police were summoned from across the Bay Area to assist the Oakland police with the task. The Oakland Tribune has a long write-up of the whole situation with startling pictures. A few videos from the scene last night:
A KTVU2 video shows the same scene: police firing a tear gas canister into a group of people who had come to the aid of another injured protestor. From what I’ve seen and read, it appears that the injured protestors was shot in the head by a tear gas canister. This is, as far as I know, the first time there’s been blood at an Occupy protest.
The streets of Oakland were quiet this morning but the protestors have returned to the Plaza where they’ve torn down a fence (presumably assembled this morning). ABC7 has a (spotty) live helicopter feed. The East Bay Express is reporting via Twitter that police are assembling nearby.
That’s what I know as of now. Interesting to note that the protestors have swelled in numbers: 300 yesterday, 1,000 today. We’ll see what happens tonight. Hopefully it is peaceful. Hopefully people make their voices heard.
10:06 pm Update: According to the Bay Citizen, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan told protestors that they could stay and camp at Ogawa Plaza “unless protesters became violent or conditions deteriorated”. Protestors are setting up tents and there’s also talk of some protestors going to San Francisco where police action is anticipated.
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