Woman dies at Occupy Vancouver site

A protester walks between tents as he works to remove a tarp at the Occupy Vancouver site in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada , on Nov. 4, 2011. Fire officials ordered the removal of unoccupied tents and overhead tarps at the site, citing safety concerns. / Darryl Dyck,AP Photo/The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - A woman at the Occupy Vancouver camp died Saturday after being discovered in an "unresponsive" condition, police say. A Canadian protest organizer said it appeared to be due to a drug overdose.

The cause of death has not been determined but there is no evidence to indicate foul play, police said.

The woman in her 20s was found in a tent by another protester. Paramedics took her to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, Vancouver police said in a statement.

Lauren Gill, an organizer at the camp, said the woman apparently died of a drug overdose.

She said the death highlights the need for more addiction services because drugs are such a big issue in the city.

Gill, who is running as an independent in this month's city elections, said that as an outreach worker in mental health and addiction services, she has seen far too many overdose deaths.

On Saturday, tensions seem to be growing at the site, where one television camera operator was knocked to the ground and some protesters began hassling reporters.

Fire Chief John McKearney ordered protesters to remove large tarps and take down tents after emergency personnel had difficulty getting accessing the site Thursday to help someone who suffered a non-fatal drug overdose.

The protesters initially rejected McKearney's concerns about safety, but removed some tarps.

Mayor Gregor Robertson has said he wants the Occupy protesters to leave the site, but hasn't threatened to force them out or set any deadlines.

In other Occupy news:

Oakland, Calif

OAKLAND, Calif. - The second Iraq war veteran hospitalized after a confrontation at an Occupy Oakland protest wasn't participating in the demonstration when he was injured and arrested, a friend and colleague said Saturday.

Kayvan Sabeghi, 32, had joined in a march the day before but was only trying to get home when he was beaten by police early Thursday, said Esther Goodstal, who co-owns a brewery with Sabeghi in nearby El Cerrito.

"I saw he had bruises all over his body, and that's not right," Goodstal told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "No one should treat another human being like this."

An Oakland police spokesman didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

Video: Iraq veteran injured in "Occupy Oakland" clash
Iraq vet injured by police at "Occupy Oakland"

A Highland Hospital spokesman said Sabeghi was in fair condition Saturday but released no further details. Goodstal said Sabeghi was in the intensive care unit and had to undergo surgery for a lacerated spleen. She said he was mostly in good spirits.

Goodstal said Sabeghi took part in an Occupy Oakland march to the city's port Wednesday but left when it was over.

"After that, he went out with his friend and had dinner," she said.

When dinner was over, Sabeghi decided to call it a night because he had to work Thursday. He was walking home in west Oakland sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday when he encountered a line of police at the protest who wouldn't let him through, Goodstal said.

"Literally, you (could) see his apartment," she said. "The police for some reason ... said, `No, you cannot pass."'

Goodstal said Sabeghi told her he tried to explain his situation and officers began hitting him with batons.

Records show Sabeghi was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest. He was one of more than 100 people arrested by 3 p.m. Thursday.

Goodstal said Sabeghi asked for medical attention several times from a jail cell and an ambulance came more than three hours after another friend posted his bail. An official who answered the phone at an Alameda County Sheriff's Office jail could confirm only that Sabeghi had been arrested and released on bail.

A week earlier, Marine veteran Scott Olsen, 24, suffered a skull fracture during clashes between police and Occupy Oakland participants.

Olsen, who also served in Iraq, worked his day job as a security software engineer Oct. 25. He then joined participants at night at Occupy San Francisco before traveling across the bay to the Oakland site, where he was injured.

Wall Street protesters around the country have rallied around Olsen's plight.

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[noloyalisti]

This is a fight to the death between the Top 1% and the rest of us. They have caused massive suffering around the world. Wars, death, poverty, unemployment, debt have been caused by them.

Fortunately, most people now get it and we will vanguish the vermin. The 99% craps bigger than any country or political party. And we shall overcome.

[dencal26]

This is an anarchist movement backed by Marxist Leninist groups. CBS is a disgrace trying to sanitize this and comparing it to Tea Party folks. CBS has a photo array which has been cleaned of the offensive Marxist signs

[notyrants]

You're funny

[noloyalisti]

Be frightened denial, be very frightened. The 99% that includes you is coming to take back the planet from the corrupt 1%.

[dantom39]

She would have wanted it that way.

[credibility2]

This is what this so-called movement is all about. A bunch of fools getting together as an excuse for being criminal, doing drugs, raping, vandalizing, etc. And, the Dems, including the president aren't saying anything against this because they're spineless and want anarchy to topple the government. It won't happen. There are more of us in the 99% than the disgruntled spoiled brats committing these crimes.

[4780]

Why do all the protesters look like druggie freaks?

[Jaylah54]

He was booked on "suspicion of resisting arrest??? What the h-e-double-toothpicks is that? Either he resisted arrest or he didn't. And, either way, he certainly didn't deserve to get the $#*+ beat out of him.

Far too many police end up in that profession because they are basically sadists, and look to wearing a police uniform as a "legal" way of taking out their hostilities.

[mikeymike116]

Additionally, it appears the vet in Oakland was denied medical attention for 18 hours. Only after he was about to be released and couldn't walk on his own did they call an ambulance. Severe violation of human rights.

[smittyc]

Oh well these things happen. Am just glad it was him and not me.

[RicardoFloresMagon]

Why does the headline say he was "hurt"? Shouldn't it say "Vet arrested, severely beaten during Oakland protests"?

[sdcowgirl]

What's up with these Oakland Police. They need to be beat up really bad. This is ridiculous. It kinda reminds me off what we all condemned Quaddifi of doing when he first had some people protesting his reign. I think the feds need to look at the behaviour of the Oakland Police and real soon.