200 arrested as cops raid Occupy LA camp

A protester is arrested as Los Angeles police officers evict protesters from the Occupy Los Angeles encampment outside City Hall in Los Angeles Nov. 30, 2011. / AP Photo/Lucy Nicholson/Pool

Updated at 10:15 a.m. Eastern

LOS ANGELES - More than 1,400 police officers, some in riot gear, cleared the Occupy Los Angeles camp early Wednesday, driving protesters from a park around City Hall and arresting more than 200 who defied orders to leave. Similar raids in Philadelphia led to 52 arrests, but the scene in both cities was relatively peaceful.

Police in Los Angeles and Philadelphia moved in on Occupy Wall Street encampments under darkness in an effort to clear out some of the longest-lasting protest sites since crackdowns ended similar occupations across the country.

The Los Angeles officers staged for hours outside Dodger Stadium before the raid. They were warned that demonstrators might throw everything from concrete and gravel to human feces at them.

"Please put your face masks down and watch each other's back," a supervisor told them. "Now go to work."

The police operation was planned at night because downtown is mostly vacant, with offices closed, fewer pedestrians and less traffic, but a spokesman said it could make officers more vulnerable. "It's more difficult for us to see things, to see booby traps," Lt. Andy Neiman, told pool reporters. "Operating in the dark is never an advantage." Neiman said the force was prepared to deal with demonstrators holed up in the camp or those who had climbed up trees in the small park.

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L.A. cops move in after Occupiers defy eviction

Before police arrived in large numbers in Los Angeles, protesters were upbeat and the mood was almost festive. A protester in a Santa Claus hat danced in the street. A woman showed off the reindeer antlers she had mounted on her gas mask.

Fireworks exploded in the sky at one point. Later, as helicopters hovered above, someone blew "The Star Spangled Banner" on a horn.

Campers planning to defend the camp and hold their ground barricaded entrances to the park with trash cans.

Gia Trimble, member of the Occupy LA media team, said a lot of people committed to the cause would stay and risk arrest. "This is a monumental night for Los Angeles," Trimble said. "We're going to do what we can to protect the camp."

In their anticipation of an eviction, the Los Angeles protesters designated medics designated with red crosses taped on clothing. Some protesters had gas masks.

Organizers at the camp packed up computer and technical equipment from the media tent.

Two men who constructed an elaborate tree house lashed bamboo sticks together with twine to push away any ladder police might use to evict them.

Members of the National Lawyers guild had legal observers on hand for an eviction.

As officers first surrounded the camp, hundreds of protesters chanted, "The people united will never be defeated."

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[noloyalisti]

Empire, the Top 1% owns 40% of the wealth of the United States and something like 90% of the stock. So I am sorry you are brainwashed into thinking that this is some kind of fair situation and that it is somehow OK to keep making the Top 1% fabulously wealthy on the backs of the 99%.

You are the perfect brainwashed plebe for these people. They could do whatever they want, steal from you and your family and you will ask for more. Way to go. Wheeeeee!

[noloyalisti]

Here you go vsmit, just some of what the disaster of Reagan did. Not to mention he was the father of deregulation that caused this worldwide recession.

Reagan's administration's military spending (including the never sucessful Star Wars initiative) and tax cuts resulted in the rise of Government debt from $908 billion in 1980 to $2.6 trillion in 1988. You and I are still servicing those loans.

In 1986 he nominated Associate Justice William Rehnquist as chief justice and named Antonin Scalia to replace him as associate justice. One need only review Rehnquist and Scalia's decisions and opinions over the years to know exactly what the republicans of today mean when they bemoan the preponderance of "activist judges".

The U.S. trade deficit climbed from $24.2 billion in 1980 to a high of $152.7 billion in 1986.

He either knew about the Arms-Drugs-Money triangle between the CIA, Iran, and the Contra's or he was such a doddering senile fool by that time he didn't know. Whatever the case he was either criminally complicit or criminally negligent in allowing Oliie North et al. to engage in the clandestine subversion of the the will of Congress and the American people.

[noloyalisti]

Let me know if you need more of this to make sure you are aware of the facts of Reagan, maybe even worse than Bushoccio.

[noloyalisti]

The only people the Wall Street Ponzi scheme helps is the Top 1%. They own most of the stock that exists and throw crumbs at the 99%. They conspired to cause this current recession and should be made to pay back the $20 trillion they lost.

[noloyalisti]

Capitalism has failed, maybe we should try democracy now - sign at Occupy.

Anyone who is stupid enough to still be supporting free-trade, free market, deregulation and less taxes has their heads up their butts.

What we need is FAIR trade, FAIR market and FAIR taxation. End of problems. Only we have to take apart, take out and seize the assets of the Top 1% scammers to get this I think.

[realtimecoffee]

Now we are getting to it. Seize the assets. Nationalise industry next? Maybe get our SS# tatooed on ou wrist

[noloyalisti]

BTW Brokenews, I got rid of all my investments in Wall Street except for SRI (socially responsible). I moved my savings and checking and two mortgages from Wells Fargo. I grow a lot of organic food and shop at small businesses and local shops whenever possible. And I lobby my representatives for progressive causes and give lots of donations to progressive, environmental and community groups as well as only to progressive candidates.

If millions more people did this we would have the change we must have.

[noloyalisti]

You just have to keep going back to the problem that the Top 1% has caused the rest of us. Unemployment, foreclosures, skyrocketing costs for health care and education and flat wages. While the wealth of the millionaires and billionaires goes through the roof.

Then you know why we have the Occupy and 99% Movements and why we must win the Class War the 1% started.

[noloyalisti]

by 4CBSREPLY FYI, the Occupy and the 99% are not about political parties. The very cause of this massive 99% movement is to rebuke and overturn the current one party system.

It is the Top 1% who declared Class War on America and will be vanquished, I guarantee it. It does not matter who The Top 1% arrests or who brutalizes, there will be 10 of us for every one of them. If they want to stop the Occupy 99%, they will have to turn this into another Nazi Germany.

[realtimecoffee]

Not a chance in hell my friend. And even if you did manage to "vanquish" the rich, once they are gone then we will have pre-Nazi Germany, full of truly staving desparate people who will gladly follow a Hitler for the vain promise of a full belly. Not that we have to worry, OWS has no following.

[noloyalisti]

What part of the the Banksters scheming to cause a massive housing bubble don't people understand? What part of the Top 1% raping America for its wealth to cause 1 of 6 Americans to live in poverty including 1 in 3 children don't people get?

The entire effed up country is owned and run by the Top 1% and they aren't going to stop until we the 99% stop them.

[noloyalisti]

This is the thing, you can't kill an idea so you can't kill the 99% Movement or the Occupy. There is something terribly wrong with this country.

The idiots who used Reagan as a puppet for their "free market" scam has succeeded in massively enriching the Top 1% at the expense of the 99%. There will be no peace until there is justice for the people of America. Simple!

[democracy8]

No, louis, globo and vsmit--just a very obvious statement of truth.

[noloyalisti]

Massive unemployment, bankster foreclosures from their housing bubble scam, Top 1% income up by 300%.

Yes America has been ruined by the fascist forces of the big corporations. It is time to take it back. And if you are part of the 99% but too stupid to do anything to stop the rape and pillage by the rich, Blame Yoslef!

[OnTheCrown]

Who is Yoslef?

[noloyalisti]

I was making fun of the Top 1% arrogant slimewad bozo Spermin Herman the Vermin.