Lee Romney reports: "Officials surveyed damage Sunday from a volatile Occupy protest that resulted in hundreds of arrests the day before and left the historic City Hall vandalized after demonstrators broke into the building, smashed display cases, cut electrical wires and burned an American flag."
Occupy Oakland demonstrators shield themselves during a confrontation with police, 01/28/12. (photo: Reuters)
Is Oakland America's Fallujah?
30 January 12
Saturday's daylong protest was the most contentious since authorities dismantled the Occupy Oakland encampment late last year.
fficials surveyed damage Sunday from a volatile Occupy protest that resulted in hundreds of arrests the day before and left the historic City Hall vandalized after demonstrators broke into the building, smashed display cases, cut electrical wires and burned an American flag.
Police placed the number of arrests at about 400 from Saturday's daylong protest - the most contentious since authorities dismantled the Occupy Oakland encampment late last year.
Mayor Jean Quan condemned the local movement's tactics as "a constant provocation of the police with a lot of violence toward them" and said the demonstrations were draining scarce resources from an already strapped city. Damage to the City Hall plaza alone has cost $2 million since October, she said, about as much as police overtime and mutual aid.
Oakland has logged five homicides since Friday, and Police Chief Howard Jordan said the law enforcement "personnel and resources dedicated to Occupy reduce our ability to focus on public safety priorities."
The Occupy action was publicized by the group as a planned takeover of a vacant building that would be "repurposed" as a "social center, convergence center and headquarters of the Occupy Oakland movement." In an open letter to Quan on Wednesday, the group warned that if police attempted to thwart the takeover, "indefinite occupation" of Oakland's airport, port and City Hall could follow.
Police prevented an afternoon attempt by protesters to enter the city's idled Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. Demonstrators then headed to the nearby Oakland Museum of California, where arrests occurred after an order to disperse was ignored. One officer suffered a cut to his face when a demonstrator threw a bicycle at him, another suffered a cut hand and a third was bruised, Watson said. At least one demonstrator was injured.
Later in the night, marchers entered the downtown Oakland YMCA, where hundreds of arrests took place. The City Hall break-in occurred about the same time, officials said.
Throughout the action, some demonstrators threw bottles, rocks, burning flares and other objects at officers. In a tactic that officials said they had not previously encountered, protesters also moved in on the police line carrying elaborate shields. One, displayed at City Hall on Sunday, was about 6 by 4 feet and built of corrugated metal on wood panels, complete with multiple handles. "Commune Move In" was painted on the front.
Occupy Oakland's media committee issued a statement condemning the police response, saying officers did not give demonstrators enough time to disperse before moving in to make mass arrests.
"Contrary to their own policy, the OPD gave no option of leaving or instruction on how to depart," the group said in a news release. "These arrests are completely illegal, and this will probably result in another class action lawsuit against the OPD, who have already cost Oakland $58 million in lawsuits over the past 10 years."
The Police Department is under a federal consent decree stemming from civil rights violations by officers more than a decade ago. A federal judge this month ordered all administrative and policy decisions to first be cleared with a court-appointed monitor.
The department's heavy-handed initial response to last fall's Occupy protests did not help its reputation. The use of tear gas and other projectiles on largely peaceful demonstrators Oct. 25 made international news after a military veteran was struck in the head and seriously injured.
But Quan said Sunday she believed officers had modified their tactics to better single out troublemakers.
"We're tired of one faction using Oakland as their playground," Quan said of demonstrators intent on clashing with police.
Of the first 20 people arrested, she noted, only three were from Oakland. Prosecutors will seek stay-away orders for some of the demonstrators, she added. Such orders were given to a number of people arrested in previous Occupy activity, and Quan said it wasn't clear whether any of them were arrested Saturday.
Oakland officials also will seek monetary damages from protesters, Quan said. In addition, the mayor said she would pursue "restorative justice" by asking that those deemed guilty be put to work picking up garbage and removing graffiti in East Oakland.
In a morning tour of the damaged City Hall, Quan pointed out that a room with a smashed door and toppled soda machine is used for classes for low-income, first-time homeowners. Several flags that had adorned the grand staircase were missing.
City Council agendas and trash littered the floor in the building's grand lobby. Although some graffiti had already been removed, evidence of the previous night's mayhem was visible in broken display cases.
Near the door, a more than century-old architectural model of the regal structure was toppled in its case. Oakland's City Hall was built after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and restored after the 1989 Loma Prieta temblor.
"It's really a symbol of how resilient Oakland is," Quan said of the building. "And we'll survive this too."
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Comments
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Because nothing says "America" like a police state.
Quan lied when she said that everyone would be accorded their civil rights. Her back was against the wall. A vet was in the hospital and frankly, she looked like the bad guy (which, would be because she WAS the bad guy).
She made her bed. Too bad the rest of Oakland has to deal with it.
And your comment - Because nothing says "America" like a police state - is priceless!!
Poor Chan. Let me get my violin. Now she's backpedaling - that's what all politicians do. They think we take stupid pills every morning.
Actually, some people do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFaviIoy4rg
Take a look at what really went down in Oakland on the 28th. it was a war zone with thousands of OWS against a well Federally Trained Oakland police...everyone MUST see what happened... we are now an occupied country...
So, Robt Eagle, what do you call the police thugs who put the Iraqi vet in a coma - he was just standing with a sign?
How about the police thugs who pinned bystanders to the ground, forced open their mouths and pepper sprayed down their throats?
What about the people in NYC who were closing their acc'ts at Bank of America and as they were walking out, cops pushed them back into the bank and arrested them.
OK with you?
Is it OK with you if Chan orders police brutality cuz that's where it's really at?
The U.S. gov't is trashing our lives and turning this nation into a gulag. And when people can't afford to feed their families, have no homes and no jobs b/c the corporations ship the jobs overseas while Congress rakes in lobbyist payola and looks the other way, people become frustrated and angry.
Always been this way throughout history. Remember "Let Them Eat Cake?"
You have this fetish w/ accusing "rabblerousers" of destroying property. Property: I think of massive damage done as a result of U.S. imperial wars in other countries to important infrastructure, villages, parts of cities, etc. That doesn't seem to bother you, one is so "outraged" at the destruction of property. Your ultranationalis t denial makes you sound like a 1950s Rightie in the stages of mental rigor mortis.
If you follow the Occupy forums and chat lines, you see how opinions, emotional content, and communication style are all over the map, with a lot of pretty hotheaded stuff. So I have no doubt that there are some hotheads making trouble in Oakland, which has a history of things like that anyway.
I hope and trust that the mainstream Occupy movememt keeps its eye on the ball like last fall and continues to present itself as a peaceful movement by folks of all ages and walks of life. That is its greatest strength. Public opinion has been fairly sensitive and preceptive so far about "who started it" and who is out of line.
We had a dustup here in our town involving a non-violent but pretty in-your-face and unpleasant group getting up in the face of a drama queen city councilman, who milked it for all it was worth. That didn't help the movement.
Many of us were happy to support the occupy people in their disgust with the greedy 1% etc. Paying bankers, CEOs, Hollywood personalities, people who knock or throw balls around etc. tens of millions a year is obscene but so is the violence of the now radicalized occupiers. They are losing the support of the man in the street.
"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose" The result is that a Violent Revolution is much closer than we dare acknowledge. And when it strikes, there will be bloodsheed on both sides until it is over.
The financial district is across the bay in San Francisco - so I do not understand why the OWS aren't occupying in SF.
Oakland, is a West Coast "Port City," meaning it processes a significant portion of electronics/clothes/automotive goods/etc that are made by "10¢/day non-union 10-yr-old-girls" in Bangladesh/China/Malaysia/Peru/Mexico/etc, for US Corps that pay their CEOs/CFOs/etc Tens of Millions in compensation packages--IE Neoliberalism's NAFTA/CAFTA/etc Global Elites--the 1%.
(Liberals used to care about things like that, and so they knew precisely about the significance of Oakland. In fact, that's how Quan got elected--Labor. But I guess Labor isn't on the agenda of most progressives anymore, hence Quan's stance against anything Labor now.)
Things really can get out of control, as many who protested in the '60's found out. Nevertheless, ultimately, with fervor and stamina, the message will get out. Of course, the media has its own agenda, so one cannot be sure whose message is being heard.
Then Chan comes out whining and crying all over herself as though her hands are clean.
I would liken the most recent Oakland demonstrations to those on college campuses between 1968 and 1971.
Excellent point - a truly chuckleheaded title. However, in many, if not most cases, the article author has no input regarding the "headline title". That, for better or for worse, is usually supplied by whatever media source decides to run the article.
Starting March 3, King Obama can use his NDAA which was a "must-have" according to Congress cuz the 1 percent is scared silly.
Violence is the last resort of cowards. Don't recall who said this but credit goes to whoever it was.
Do you know what a snitch is? Do you know who the Usual Suspects are? Do you know that Cops go out and do the Mayor's dirty work and pay these creeps to infiltrate groups from Buddhists to OWS then pay them off in drugs?
Your attitude and remark makes me think you are a cop or Political Creep.
Wrong again, o' reactionary one; I want cops like the kind I grew up with and could talk to, played rugby with (and against) and had the respect of the community well earned who were PART of the community. Not Darth Vader wannabe's who are armed to the teeth, are supposed to be working for us, not the criminals who are at the root of the discontent who won't pay taxes for their upkeep but can call on them as if they did and have gone unpunished. These bully-boys have no basis in any community any more!
Fancy more militarization of them from your safe li'l conformist seat wherever you declaim from? It's coming, armored personnel carriers, drones and all; hope you enjoy it when they "come for you".
Given that the suppression of OWS is organized by DHS and FBI, it appears that they have chosen Oakland to be the symbol for violence that is provoked by the police and a lot of infiltrators. this gives all OWS groups a bad name that the mainstream press and Fox and rant and rail about to no end. Using provocateurs is a standard police tactic. There is a ton of evidence over the years of police plain clothed infiltrators destroying property and sometimes shooting people in order to make it appear that the demonstrators are violent. The media can never tell the difference.
We now know with 100% certainty that an FBI agent fired four shots at Kent State that provoked the shooting by the national guardsmen. 1000s of FBI documents were de-classified recently that expose the whole plot. The shooter is known by name and he has been contacted by CNN. He will not talk. He lived under a witness protection program up until a few months ago when he was discovered in Akron, Ohio.
Look for the signs of police/FBI infiltrator and provocateurs.
Seek the truth and then using what you've found, let your commonsense kick in.
Prove it by getting rid of the riff raff.
What do you think the junkies care about your stand. They only care about their fix. Cops are in need of their fixes also, especially those on Political Band Wagon.
Suzy's right -- don't compare Oakland to Fallujah.
The United States military destroyed Falluja, murdered and maimed thousands of innocent human beings, and filled what was left of the city with toxic chemicals causing massive numbers of birth defects in the babies born there.
Likening what happened in Oakland to the devastation wrought on Falluja is just downright offensive and an insult to the historical city of Falluja and the human beings whose lives the United States military destroyed there.
"They are terrorizing us from going out [to demonstrations] . That is a sad statement for our country." Olsen also says he expects to rejoin the Occupy and antiwar protests as his recovery progresses. "I look forward to being a part of the 99 percent and Iraq Veterans Against the War in 2012," he says [Source, "Democracy Now" website].
Now THAT takes courage and is a reminder that the cops bring on themselves much of the anger and inevitable push-back of the repressed -and as DLT888 rightly mentions, the agents provocateurs are always there, cowardly blacklegs and paid agitators, to add to the mayhem and indeed instigate it. I uncovered several of them whilst being a marshall or order-keeper at several large 60's and 70's demonstrations in Scotland, England and Europe and delighted in turning them over to their own cop-bosses!
I am actually saddened by the damage but consider the permanent and unreconciled damage to so many lives, still unpunished by lack of prosecutions of the true criminals, more foreclosures, more skullduggery uncovered by the banks and insouciance by Wall Street. I don't know about the "Fallujah" title but the heel of the oppressor is there and they continue to profit unchecked.
They are the real "pieces of garbage" RobtEagle is referring so tritely to!
What is clear is that the oligarchy are very worried and that occupy is not over nor will it fade away, despite that propaganda from the oligarchy and it's media. It is also clear that the violence and repression from the government is not working at all.
This is what the collapse of empire and capitalism looks like.
BTW, there are reports of the US using both white phosphorus and other chemical weapons in Fallujah, and also not depleted uranium but slightly enriched uranium was found -- the city was attacked with some sort of new nuclear weapon.
Oakland has some angry people who have been abused, exploited, shut out, shot at (and killed). That, not Occupy, makes people feel hopeless and eventually violent. Over-reaction by police -who have a long reputation of terrible abusive and violent behavior- is a big part of the problem. That does not excuse the violence.
And City Hall does belong to Oakland residents. According to witnesses the doors were open and ajar. Whoever trashed it is a dumb jerk -and we don't know who that was.
Although we (still) have the Constitutional Right to assemble in order to seek redress of grievance (unfair, abusive and protected financial system), it is a sign of the power of 1% and collusion by government, that city ordinance is used to prevent that Right.
Occupy must recommit to non-violence. It requires strength of commitment and discipline to maintain in a violent situation, but Non-Violence is the only way!
Keep come and focused, rid yourself of the transients. Told NY same, Cops need to give Media proof of violence and looting to keep the image bad. Grow up, learn the facts. We did a lot without violence and still do.
Are there agent provocateurs in OO? Undoubtably. But they're not needed, because there's also plenty of young hotheads eager to do the state's work for free.
Most local Occupy groups have been admirably disciplined in their commitment to nonviolence. A few on the West Coast, especially Oakland, have not, and they're giving a bad name to the whole movement. Most of the "99 percent" want nothing to do with this sort of mindless hooliganism. This sort of mayhem doesn't further the "revolution" - it undermines it.
Isn't evolution better than revolution with it's associated death and destruction? Revolution so often just leads to a new bunch of even more vicious thugs running the show.
Guess they have lots of smack hanging out for their junkie snitches.
OWS stand tall, keep away from the Oakland Usual Suspects. We are keeping the prayers in the NE
I don't get the comparison unless the author was suggesting the protesters were on the verge of mass destruction.
As an "Occupy" sympathizer I have difficulty in agreeing with their methods of violence. It appears they were being a bit provocative against the police and destruction of property is unacceptable. The provacatuers can destroy a hopeful and rather profound movement. If mayhem and chaos is viewed by the average American (who may be on the verge of understanding the whole 99 versus 1 percent philosophy)the movement will be lost. If a radical like myself is against violence than certainly moderately conservative Americans(about 60% of the citizenry)will be appalled.
The lessons of Ghandi and King must be preached to the hooligan element-who are not the majority of the "Occupy" bunch.
Throw in a dose of Bhuddist philosophy and we just might have a peaceful revolution. But a violent revolution in the USA is impossible and not acceptable to any rational human being.
"Numerous pieces of evidence have surfaced that seem to prove that the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's autonomous police force, used agents provocateurs during yesterday's #15M movement protests outside the Catalan parliament." http://www.thebadrash.com/2011/06/16/catalan-police-use-agents-provocateurs-in-attempt-to-trigger-riot/
"Traditionally, an agent provocateur (plural: agents provocateurs, French for "inciting agent(s)") is a agent employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act. More generally, the term may refer to a person or group that seeks to discredit or harm another by provoking them to commit a wrong or rash action." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_provocateur
And there are now countless incidences by insiders at the recent Oakland protest, including the independent press, who are reporting APs and their direct violence and/or incitement of it.
police shooting into the group of protesters protecting their wounded comrade.
I believe that shooting wounded is WAR CRIME - quite sick and criminal.
Personally I don't trust the Oakland police - you only have to look into the bogus investigation of the Scott Olson maiming - retired police officers and military doing the investigation? Really? Couldn't find a more impartial group to investigate? It boggles the mind.
It appears the city has been begging for a buyer or tenant for this building at the center of the Occupy Oakland controversy. It's not up to code - has anyone suggested to the Mayor the building could be made available to a group representing the communities' interests in exchange for bringing it in compliance with the proper building codes? That would be leadership.
http://occupyoakland.org/2011/11/city-seeks-tenants-for-the-henry-j-kaiser-convention-center-at-10-tenth-street/
Absolutely -but!
Unfortunately, the US has "Evolved" into a police state that increasingly quashes all freedoms of expression against what the "Man-in-the -street" began to accept as the status-quo but has come to realize by the recently-imposed depression, which has taken so much of what they and many of their neighbors worked for and stayed passive and disengaged about.
They are now forced to "evolve" into a critical mass which has no alternative but to push back.
Yes, this particular incident is regrettable in some of it's damage outcome and I think that the reference to "Fallujah" is specious at best and stupid at worst but these people were reacting to a precedent set by an especially brutal police action (again, ask Scott Olsen).
Perhaps if the forces of repression showed some evolution AWAY from thugishness, brutality and willingness to allow peaceful and organized freedom of assembly and by default, speech, we could all "Evolve" together, what?
The king's army (Oakland police) representing the aristocracy (our 1%) put down small outbursts throughout the city with such violence that it enraged the general population to revolution. It's "those who refuse to learn from history etc...." once more. The royalty never believed they were in danger until it was too late. And,it may be too late!
Until the recent violence brought about by the police, once again, there was no reason that police personnel were necessary for Occupy. The first time, what damage were they causing and who were they a danger to? None and no one. This time if they had been allowed to occupy a vacant building, none of this would have happened.
The police, like most of the right wing, are experts at playing the victim as they victimize everyone else.
" Quan said of demonstrators intent on clashing with police."
I notice she had no problem with police intent on clashing with demonstrators. That in itself says all you need to know about what's going on.
So, in order to make real change, we need people on the state and local levels to occupy the ballot in 2012 and run for office. If we aren't doing everything we can for peace, including voting, registering voters, and running candidates, then the corporations win.
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