Occupy Oakland Protests Go From Peace To "Chaos"
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Police and protesters supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement have clashed downtown following a day of peaceful protests throughout Oakland.
The confrontation began after protesters started a large bonfire in the middle of a downtown street. Dozens of police in riot gear moved in on hundreds of protesters as the flames leapt more than 15 feet in the air from several large metal and plastic trash bins that had been pushed together.
Police warned protesters to clear out before firing several rounds of tear gas and "flash bang" grenades to clear the area.
In the aftermath of the police actions, protesters with cloth wrapped around their faces to protect them from the stench of the gas rallied, chanting "Whose streets? Our streets."
Two demonstrators were also hurt when they were struck by a car as they marched with the crowd near Broadway and 11th Street at about 7:30 p.m.
>> Raw Footage: Overhead View Of Accident Scene
The San Francisco Chronicle says an angry mob surrounded the silver Mercedes-Benz and screamed at the driver through his closed windows as first responders tended to the injured.
Bay Area Rapid Transit police Deputy Chief Daniel Hartwig says the man and woman suffered leg and ankle injuries in Wednesday's 7:30 p.m. incident on Broadway. They were taken to Highland Hospital.
BART officers guarding a nearby transit station questioned the driver and several witnesses. The driver was then allowed to leave.
Hartwig says there are differing witness accounts. Some say the driver appeared to have accelerated into the victims in frustration, and others say the driver was provoked by activists pounding on his car.
Earlier in the day, protesters shut down operations at the Port of Oakland which is one of the nation's busiest shipping ports.
Port of Oakland officials said in a statement late Wednesday that the peaceful rally attended by thousands of demonstrators forced them to cancel typical evening maritime activity. Officials at the nation's fifth-largest shipping port say they hope the work day can resume Thursday.
"Continued missed shifts represent economic hardship for maritime workers, truckers, and their families, as well as lost jobs and lost tax revenue for our region," the statement read.
Back at Frank Ogawa Plaza — home base for the Oakland Occupy movement — the tent city had become an all-out street festival with music, food and all sorts of protest signs. A new group of protesters, including hundreds of teachers, skipped work Wednesday to join the movement.
And businesses in the area followed suit. Law offices were closed, restaurants were closed. The one thing missing from Wednesday's protest was any visible police presence. Prostesters were allowed to have their voices heard..
"You know the way things are today, it's impossible and we need change," protester Leo Rodriguez said.
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