Occupy Oakland spurs large police response for “Move-In Day”

Saturday was dubbed “Move-in day” by thousands of Occupy Oakland protesters but was most noted for the tense confrontations with area police, infiltration of Oakland City Hall, and more that 300 arrests.

Citizen journalists broadcast live video streams on ustream.com while activists kept Twitter full of updates throughout the day. After a tense and unsuccessful occupation attempt of a vacant convention center in downtown Oakland that afternoon, protesters regrouped in front of city hall and announced a new occupation of an undisclosed location.

A march of about 500 people began to move north and snake through city streets as the evening sun set. Music could be heard playing through an amplifier at the rear of the crowd as protesters chanted “Whose street? Our street!” The heavy presence of police in riot gear attempted to contain the growing march about 15 blocks from city hall, but many protesters scattered to avoid becoming victims of kettling—a police tactic used to corral large numbers of people.

Momentum of the march was soon directed away from police as protesters on bicycles darted through the neighborhood. Protesters turned around and began to march south but encountered riot police at 23^rd street near a YMCA. By 6:30 PM the protest was completely surrounded on Broadway by riot police on foot and in vehicles.

Reports suggest an individual already inside the YMCA had unlocked the doors to help some protesters slip away from the crowd. Police quickly tightened the perimeter around the march and announced over a loudspeaker “you have failed to disperse and are now under arrest.”

The sprawling march was condensed to the sidewalk by police and some skirmishes appeared to unfold. Police were seen tossing bicycles away from the building and crowd while some protesters were allowed outside the perimeter and away from the arrests. Some protesters shouted their name to citizen journalists as they were filed down the sidewalk in handcuffs. One protester was seen being led away by police with a small amount of blood streaming down his face.

Police vans and buses entered the area near the YMCA just before 7:30 PM. Meanwhile, a small group of protesters returned to City Hall and several entered in hopes of holding a General Assembly within the city council’s chambers. This group had little support from fellow occupiers as office furniture and documents were removed from the building. An American flag was also removed and onlookers failed to stop its burning.

Many protesters remained in the unlit park outside as, for nearly 20 minutes, only three police officers were available to secure the entrance. Police reinforcements eventually arrived by the dozens as the number of protesters grew in the area. One protester was then taken by ambulance to the hospital after she was allegedly “clubbed in the kidney” by an Oakland police officer during an earlier march.

Another march of about 50 protesters soon left Oscar Grant Park and headed toward Oakland Police Department to support those arrested at the YMCA. Contempt for law enforcement was high among this march as chants for “total freedom” blared from a bullhorn and were echoed by the crowd. Police scanners began relaying to officers throughout the city that resources were thin, but police still swarmed the area around the march.

Upon reaching the police department, the protesters began howling into the night sky to show support for the arrested protesters. They quickly turned their attention to a police bus, however, as it approached the building and entered an underground garage. Protesters ran towards the closing door and shouted for the release of those arrested when a canister was thrown from inside the building. The canister was returned before the door shut completely—protesters nor police were seen wearing protective equipment.

Police quickly advanced on the march as both groups navigated through streets littered with overturned shopping carts and trashcans. One protester was seen trying to tie his shoe while others told him there was no time as a line of police quickly shortened the space between them. The march returned to Oscar Grant Park just after 9:00 PM and police established a riot-line across 14^th Street.

The intersection of 14^th and Broadway quickly filled and a standoff ensued between occupiers and police. Officers from neighboring law enforcement departments were seen with Oakland police but without name badges. Shouts of “go home” and “fight some real crime” were heard from protesters as more police filed into the area. A girl approached the police line and began to dance for a moment before she turned and walked away, at which time she was arrested. One citizen journalist reported the “imported cops” were responsible for her arrest.

Around 10:00 PM, after a final act of defiance in the form of an impromptu sit-in, police gave a 5-minute warning for protesters to disperse. The warning was met with thunderous disapproval from the crowd—completely drowning out the voice on the police bullhorn—but ultimately heeded. Police made one final advance across the intersection but the crowds stayed on the sidewalks.

A citizen journalist reporting for The Revolution Will Be Streamed on uStream.com commented “Every sort of dispersal weapon was used today. Other than the LRAD, pepper balls, smoke bombs, tear gas, bean bags, rubber bullets—I saw all of those being used. Lots of flash bangs. I think people were just pissed off by how the police retaliated today. People felt they needed to do something.”

-MDS