300 arrested in Occupy Oakland protests

Oakland police deploy smoke and tear gas to stop protesters with the Occupy Oakland as they march through the streets of downtown Oakland, Calif., Saturday Jan. 28, 2012. With plans to take over a vacant building, Occupy Oakland spokesman Leo Ritz-Barr said the action "signals a new direction for the Occupy movement: putting vacant buildings at the service of the community." / Michael Macor,(AP Photo/San Francisco Chronicle

OAKLAND, Calif. — Dozens of police maintained a late-night guard around City Hall following daylong protests that resulted in 300 arrests. Occupy Oakland demonstrators broke into the historic building and burned a U.S. flag, as officers earlier fired tear gas to disperse people throwing rocks and tearing down fencing at a convention center.

Saturday's protests — the most turbulent since Oakland police forcefully dismantled an Occupy encampment in November — came just days after the group said it planned to use a vacant building as a social center and political hub and threatened to try to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.

An exasperated Mayor Jean Quan, who faced heavy criticism for the police action last fall, called on the Occupy movement to "stop using Oakland as its playground."

"People in the community and people in the Occupy movement have to stop making excuses for this behavior," Quan said.

Protesters clashed with police throughout the day, at times throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at officers. And police responded by deploying smoke, tear gas and bean bag rounds, City Administrator Deanna Santanta said.

Oakland Police block the entrance to City Hall after Occupy Oakland protesters gained access into the building during an Occupy Oakland protest, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Beck Diefenbach

Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan said about 300 arrests were made.

"These demonstrators stated their intention was to provoke officers and engage in illegal activity and that's exactly what has occurred today," Santana said.

The group assembled outside City Hall late Saturday morning and marched through the streets, disrupting traffic as they threatened to take over the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center.

The protesters walked to the vacant convention center, where some started tearing down perimeter fencing and "destroying construction equipment" shortly before 3 p.m., police said.

Police said they issued a dispersal order and used smoke and tear gas after some protesters pelted them with bottles, rocks, burning flares and other objects.

The number of demonstrators swelled as the day wore on, with afternoon estimates ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 people.

A majority of the arrests came after police took scores of protesters into custody as they marched through the city's downtown, with some entering a YMCA building, said Sgt. Jeff Thomason, a police spokesman.

Occupy Oakland protesters burn an American flag found inside Oakland City Hall during a protest on the steps of City Hall, Saturday, January 28, 2012, in Oakland, Calif.

/ AP Photo/Beck Diefenbach

Quan said that at one point, many protesters forced their way into City Hall, where they burned flags, broke an electrical box and damaged several art structures, including a recycled art exhibit created by children.

She blamed the destruction on a small "very radical, violent" splinter group within Occupy Oakland.

"This is not a situation where we had a 1,000 peaceful people and a few violent people. If you look at what's happening today in terms of destructing property, throwing at and charging the police, it's almost like they are begging for attention and hoping that the police will make an error."

Dozens of officers surrounded City Hall, while others swept the inside of the building looking for protesters who had broken into the building, then ran out of the building with American flags before officers arrived.

The protest group issued an email criticizing police, saying "Occupy Oakland's building occupation, an act of constitutionally protected civil disobedience was disrupted by a brutal police response today."

Michael Davis, 32, who is originally from Ohio and was in the Occupy movement in Cincinnati, said Saturday was a very hectic day that originally started off calm but escalated when police began using "flash bangs, tear gas, smoke grenades and bean bags."

"What could've been handled differently is the way the Oakland police came at us," Davis said. "We were peaceful."

City leaders joined Quan in criticizing the protesters.

"City Hall is closed for the weekend. There is no excuse for behavior we've witnessed this evening," City Council President Larry Reid said during a news briefing Saturday.

Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, echoed Reid's sentiments and said that what was going on amounts to "domestic terrorism."

Protesters with Occupy Oakland march through the streets of downtown Oakland, Calif., Saturday Jan. 28, 2012.

/ AP Photo/San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Macor

The national Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces corporate excess and economic inequality, began in New York City in the fall but has been largely dormant lately.

Oakland, New York and Los Angeles were among the cities with the largest and most vocal Occupy protests early on. The demonstrations ebbed after those cities used force to move out hundreds of demonstrators who had set up tent cities.

In Oakland, the police department received heavy criticism for using force to break up earlier protests. Quan was among the critics, but on Saturday, she seemed to have changed her tune.

"Our officers have been very measured," Quan said. "Were there some mistakes made? There may be. I would say the Oakland police and our allies, so far a small percentage of mistakes. "But quite frankly, a majority of protesters who were charging the police were clearly not being peaceful.

41 Photos

Occupy protests: Month 5

Earlier this month, a court-appointed monitor submitted a report to a federal judge that included "serious concerns" about the department's handling of the Occupy protests.

Jordan said late Saturday that he was in "close contact" with the federal monitor during the protests.

Quan added, "If the demonstrators think that because we are working more closely with the monitor now that we won't do what we have to do to uphold the law and try keep people safe in this city, they're wrong."

[noloyalisti]

Wall Street and the criminal Bankster and their paid servants in government are terrified of Occupy and the 99%. As well they should be because we are going after all of them and their graft and corruption and sellouts to the giant corporations.

[davidsalay]

Occupy Wall Street may have seemed to die down a bit in the past few months, but this weekend over 400 protestors were arrested at Occupy Oakland. The massive arrests in Oakland sparked outrage across the country, with dozens of cities marching in solidarity on Sunday. In addition to the news about Oakland's massive arrests comes news that Occupy DC's encampment is expected to be evicted soon. I saw a great interview from today on Democracy Now! that featured activists from Occupy Oakland and Occupy DC. Check it out here: http://www.democracynow.org/tags/occupy_wall_street

[js2212]

False. I think the outrage was more toward Occupy than for it. Name 10 cities that hosted marches of solidarity on Sunday Jan. 29th and cite the link that we can go to find the story about each march.

I can definitely tell that you are an OWS'er - you cannot help but distort reality and the basic facts. If you can't be grateful for what you have here in the US, I suggest you move to Somalia or Vietnam or something and learn the value of gratitude.

[noloyalisti]

js: Don't want government? Move to Somalia

[sandiegopete]

The Tea Party was founded and funded by the Koch Brothers. The Tea Party can be considered by no stretch of the imagination a grass roots movement. It was a calculated political manoeuvre by Washington insiders and its activities were scheduled by lobbyists.

[voiceofthepast]

The entire concept is to play on the fears of the innocent people within this movement and any other movement as a smokescreen designed to DIVIDE the people.The Communist rhetoric,the dirty and unemployable, the flag burning comments, the inflated rhetoric of destructive activities, are designed to separate and divert away from the real issues. cooperate takeover of the government, like the scratching of a flea to aid in ignoring the cancer that kills.

[raymailhot]

You didn't make that up. Your boss soros did!

[voiceofthepast]

Do you have stock in pepper-spray? Nothing like a good riot to stimulate the economy. Cleanup, rebuilding burned out condemned or low income housing, and that new elitist golf course and million dollar townhouse project,like is happening in Benton Harbor Michigan since the legal representatives of the city were ousted in favor of a "financial manager'.It worked in the 60"s and 70"s in L.A with the CIA running coke into the "ghetto" for the ruination of the poor housing areas to devalue property for the elite to suck up cheep.ra ra!

[raymailhot]

The tea party had 10s of thousands at demonstrations and did not get the press.

Because the violence sells.

How does someone come to the conclusion these ows people represent America?

This is an organized effort getting planned results.

Not grass roots!

[realtimecoffee]

Probably both. If it bleeds it leads.

[BrothaChaz]

Occupy Oakland Is Pimping Us and Lying To The Public.
YEA I SAID IT.

Most of the protesters do not live in Oakland.
I am saddened that the Occupy movement has chosen to terrorize Oakland California. I am all for freedom, most of the songs I write are about freedom. However, the occupiers are draining our resources. $ that could be used for youth services and programs for the elderly is being spent on police services and cleaning up after our city has been trashed.

The occupy movement has lost its way or it is just flat-out telling lies about being against the 1%. What they are doing is not helping the poor or the disenfranchised in Oakland.

Oakland is a working class city. In 2010 the median income for a household in the city was $48,596. Occupy Danville, CA. The median income for a household in that city was $129,515 in 2010. Or occupy Sausalito, CA. The estimated median household income in 2009: $109,019 (it was $87,469 in 2000).

Occupiers occupy your own damn back yard. Use all your city's money to pay the police you say you hate. If you hate them so much stop creating situations that result in the police officers getting thousands of dollars in overtime pay. Blind leading the blind.

[realtimecoffee]

So these OWS guys, wearing imports or not?

[credibility2]

These protestors are criminal anarchists and should be dealt with by any means necessary. They do not speak for the majority of the 99%. This is what comes of a nation that panders and accommodates too many because of political correctness and a general disrespect for law and order and respecting the rights of others. Bravo to the cops for arresting the losers.

[p_marvel]

Meanwhile, Occupy Cleveland has been known to peacefully occupy soon-to-be-foreclosed homes (at the homeowner's invitation) and gain them an additional month in their home and/or a new payment plan from the bank. Which Occupy group is being more productive?

[voiceofthepast]

For all the education of the 1%; it is evident they have not learned the lessons of the past. A member of the Athenian 1% realized the possible repercussions of the 1%'s inflicted poverty of the on the masses could be devastating to the entire structure of the society. He then developed a governing system called Democracy. This action thwarted the natural result of that previous systems excesses and opened the way for what is called the "Golden Age" of that society. The Roman society's outsourcing of the army; after the 1% decided to not pay them; lead to the burning of Rome. The poverty of the French people; chasing rats in the streets for dinner because of the excesses of the 1%; lead to "off with their heads". Thankfully the U.S, in the late 19th century, saw this pattern reoccurring here,and banned the "company towns" and oligarchical control of the elite through anti trust legislation before another revolution occurred. This odious viper of uncontested greed and abuse has raised it"s ugly head again in the form of our newest citizen; the corporation, with the 1% hiding behind, and controlling 98% of the $ and playing diversionary tactics; like the puppet tea party, who innocently;and unknowingly; are playing to their Kochurparate; and their compatriot's; puppeteers schemes,to devise as many "non-issues" to keep "we the people" from realizing their true plans:the enslavement of the populous. I am sure these issues will become more evident as more peoples rights;such as the negating of rightfully elected officials powers; as in Wisconsin and Michigan currently; and the continuation of the 400% increase in income of the 1% and the flat-line of the 99% wages that has occurred over the last 30 years. Wake up America, before we are all slaves. Aren't you tired of paying subsidization to corporate rapist, Wallstreet,insurance institutions,oil producers,drug company's,bankers,energy,and other entities; who's whole purpose is to make money and produce nothing accept unemployment,poverty, and misery through outsourcing,and destruction of the "Representative" form of government which has made this country great. Representation implies :one like us; a commonality of ideas and status. When the legislators are paid for by superpacs;owned by the 1%;how can they possibly represent the 99% of actual people. I'm tired of lapdogs of the elite lying about representing the people.Wake up before the terrors of the past are reproduced in our streets.

[js2212]

by dot92141 January 29, 2012 12:03 PM EST
WATCH OUT FOR THE DEADLY PROTESTERS IN WHEELCHAIRS------
__________________________________________________________________

I think the police missed the wheelchair morons while they were dealing with the rock-throwing, pooping, screaming, pot-smoking-drug-shooting, flag-burning criminals running around.

dot, your talent for ignoring the obvious and distorting the facts is unparalleled in these forums. There are not "oppressed", as you claim. In the real world, if a person has smarts, ability and motivation, they could achieve their goals...maybe.

However, there is no universal right to money or position. You must work to get there and if you don't too bad. That's how the real world works. There is no Nanny that is supposed to give you things or pay your way. You have to go out and get it yourself. If you don't, or can't, then that's just too bad.

You are delusional. And Occupy protesters are criminals.

[js2212]

While you've been "witnessing" I've been working. While you've been making excuses for the so-called down-trodden, I've been having a great time - earning money, going on vacation, buying things. It's been great.

Jobs have always been outsourced. If the government and unions forced me to earn substantially lower profits because of their health insurance policy and strikes, I'd outsource too. And I wouldn't feel the least bit bad about it.

[voiceofthepast]

One mans terrorist is another's freedom fighter. It is too bad so few are doing the work of so many. Don't you realize; they are fighting for you? Seems like your solution is "Kent State". Now who is the criminal. I wood rather a pot smoker represented me than the SS.Think about it on your way to the concentration camps. lol