Occupy Oakland protesters break into City Hall, ransack the insides
102 replies, posted
[url]http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/28/10260959-oakland-assesses-city-hall-damage-after-occupy-break-in[/url]
[quote]"By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services
Story updated 12:30 p.m. ET:
Oakland officials on Sunday were inspecting damage inside City Hall that was caused by about 50 Occupy protesters who broke in and smashed glass display cases, spray-painted graffiti, and burned the U.S. and California flags.
The break-in on Saturday was the culmination of a day of clashes between protesters and police. At least 300 people were arrested on charges ranging from vandalism and failure to disperse.
At least three officers and one protester were injured.
Mayor Jean Quan said Occupy protesters have caused an estimated $2 million in damages from vandalism since October. She said the cost to the city related to the Occupy Oakland protests is pegged at about $5 million. The scene around City Hall was mostly quiet Sunday morning. It was unclear whether protesters would mount another large-scale demonstration later in the day.
Story updated 6:00 a.m. ET:
A U.S. flag was burned by a group of protestors inside City Hall, according to City Council President Larry Reid. City officials also said three police officers and one protester were injured during Saturday's events.
Story updated 3:15 a.m. ET:
Sgt. Christopher Bolton of the Oakland Police Department told msnbc.com that the number arrested was likely between 200 and 300. "We are still processing the arrests," he said. He was speaking after the release of a statement on the Oakland City website that put the number of arrests at 200. "That figure is probably on the low side and we don't have a confirmed total yet," said. Sgt Bolton. In the statement, released in a PDF file format, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said: "Once again, a violent splinter group of the Occupy Movement is engaging in violent actions against Oakland. The Bay Area Occupy Movement has got to stop using Oakland as their playground." The statement also said there were reports of damage to exhibits inside City Hall during the protest.
Story published 1:30 a.m.:
Police arrested about 300 people Saturday as Occupy Oakland protesters were thwarted trying to take over a vacant convention center and enter a YMCA. Protesters later broke into City Hall, where they burned a flag taken from inside.
Police used tear gas and "flash" grenades in the afternoon against 2,000 protesters who tried to tear down fences around the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center, where they hoped to establish a new camp. Police said some demonstrators started throwing objects at officers. There were at least 19 arrests in the afternoon.
After 6 p.m. (9 p.m. ET), police in riot gear declared a group of protesters gathered near the YMCA under mass arrest for failing to disperse, according to local media reports and livestreams. Police said about 100 demonstrators were arrested at the YMCA.
Several protesters at the YMCA appeared to be put hard to the ground as police moved in and at least one protester had blood on his face. Protesters chanted, "Let us disperse," but instead were taken one by one for police processing.
Some protesters claimed they were trying to flee police by running through the YMCA rather than take over the building.
Later in the evening, about 100 police officers surrounded City Hall while others swept the inside of the building.
Police arrived after protesters had broken into City Hall, stole an American flag from the council chamber and set it ablaze, the Oakland Tribune reported. Officers stomped out the fire.
Earlier, protesters met at Frank Ogawa Plaza around noon and marched toward the convention center in hopes of making it their new meeting place and social center, NBCBayArea.com reported. Oakland officials said about 250 people were in the group when the protest started but the crowd grew to about 2,000.
Earlier during the rally one of the organizers, Shake Anderson, said, "We are here to protect each other and to be civil disobedient. ... We're doing it to change the world, not just today but every day." The protesters were walking through Laney College around 2:30 p.m. Some people were wearing bandanas over their mouths and others were holding signs saying, "We are the 99%." A marching band dressed in pink and black tutus and neon pick tights also was in the crowd.
Officer Jeff Thomason said police started making arrests when some in the crowd started throwing objects at them during the afternoon rally. Three officers were injured, police said, but did not elaborate.
@OaklandPoliceCA tweeted around 3 p.m., "Area of Oakland Museum and Kaiser Center severely impacted. Persons cutting and tearing fences for entry. Bottles and objects thrown at OPD."
Once they reached the center, organizers planned to kick off a two-day "Oakland Rise-up Festival" to celebrate the establishment of the movement's new space.
Occupy Oakland spokesman Leo Ritz-Bar said the action would signal "a new direction for the Occupy movement: putting vacant buildings at the service of the community." He also warned that protesters could retaliate against any repressive police action by blocking the Oakland International Airport, occupying City Hall or shutting down the Port of Oakland. City officials said that while they are "committed to facilitating peaceful forms of expression and free speech, police would be prepared to arrest those who break the law.
"The city of Oakland will not be bullied by threats of violence or illegal activity," city administrator Deanna Santana said in a statement issued Friday."[/quote]
Sorry for the wall of text, but this is totally not helping their image. Granted that this sort of news is the only thing that will get reported since no one wants to hear about peaceful protests where nothing goes awry.
[b]Edit:[/b] Fixed how article looked using quote tags
I'm telling you guys, revolt is impossible unless you have tanks. It's just how the modern world works.
The Occupy Protests are joke now. Just go home people.
Ok, thats it. Send in the National Guard. Fuck the Occupy movement. Shit has gone too far.
[QUOTE=SexualShark;34453463]Ok, thats it. Send in the National Guard. Fuck the Occupy movement.[/QUOTE]
"Let's kill all these people over minor property damage"
Put the OP in quote tags, that'll make it a lot more readable.
OP, you should put the article in [QUOTE] tags.
Damnit, ninja :(
Fuck quote tags.
release tags are where its at.
[QUOTE=Nikota;34453451]I'm telling you guys, revolt is impossible unless you have tanks. It's just how the modern world works.[/QUOTE]
Well I suppose they could do what the Libyans did and got that old WW1 German tank. :v:
I understand that when you are campaigning for something, you oftenly have to do some pretty extreme stuff to get noticed. This however is crossing the line. That and assaulting the shit outa the cops too.
Do they think that the entire city isn't going to tell them to get the fuck out after this?
but...but...that's against the law! everyone knows that civil disobedience involves following the law to the letter and complying with all instruction from authority!
how dare these rowdy, rude teens [i]destroy property[/i] owned by a state that has failed them in nearly every aspect of its operation.
Isn't the problem with the Oakland one that every time they do actually get together they get broken up by police?
[QUOTE=Nikota;34453478]"Let's kill all these people over minor property damage"[/QUOTE]
Oh yes, like i said the word or implied to say "kill".
[QUOTE=darkrei9n;34453570]Isn't the problem with the Oakland one that every time they do actually get together they get broken up by police?[/QUOTE]
Their mayor is trying to solve the problem by throwing thousands of police officers at them.
And they called the Tea Party terrorists... :smith:
[QUOTE=SexualShark;34453574]Oh yes, like i said the word or implied to say "kill".[/QUOTE]
National guard.
Protest.
You do realize what happens when those combine right?
[editline]30th January 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=rosar0980;34453585]And they called the Tea Party terrorists... :smith:[/QUOTE]
The Tea party brought along guns.
They didn't.
[QUOTE=notxmania;34453548]but...but...that's against the law! everyone knows that civil disobedience involves following the law to the letter and complying with all instruction from authority!
how dare these rowdy, rude teens [i]destroy property[/i] owned by a state that has failed them in nearly every aspect of its operation.[/QUOTE]
I don't understand.. So if my neighbor keeps taking my mail and using my wifi I have a right to break their windows because they've failed me as neighbors?
[editline]29th January 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Nikota;34453591]National guard.
Protest.
You do realize what happens when those combine right?
[/QUOTE]
"OH no it'll be kent state again!! think of the protestors!!"
The National Guard have been sent in to disperse violent riots without injury or death to people, the military aren't baby killing savages with itchy trigger fingers. Half the time the fact the National Guard is there stops the problem all together.
Start using his lawn as your own toilet and mail as toilet paper.
Punks have made a mockery of the situation long enough bring in the tear gas and pepper paint ball bullets.
Because the last thing we need is property damage that the city and the taxpayers have to fix.
[QUOTE=CodeMonkey3;34453598]I don't understand.. So if my neighbor keeps taking my mail and using my wifi I have a right to break their windows because they've failed me as neighbors?[/QUOTE]
not unless your neighbors are responsible for the governing of an entire nation and have systematically eliminated every method of settling the dispute civilly!
[QUOTE=Nikota;34453591]
The Tea party brought along guns.
They didn't.[/QUOTE]
The Tea Party also protested peacefully whereas these Occupy dumbasses destroyed public property. The guns part was excersizing their second amendment rights legally.
[QUOTE=Nikota;34453591]National guard.
Protest.
You do realize what happens when those combine right?
[/QUOTE]
Yeah the protesters try to kill them and they defend themselves and their country.
[QUOTE=Solo Wing;34453507]I understand that when you are campaigning for something, you oftenly have to do some pretty extreme stuff to get noticed. This however is crossing the line. That and assaulting the shit outa the cops too.
Do they think that the entire city isn't going to tell them to get the fuck out after this?[/QUOTE]
If a protest is going to take place, might as well do a Boston Tea Party, the protests have been shut out and mistreated by police. What did you think was going to happen?
[QUOTE=ewitwins;34453644]Because the last thing we need is property damage that the city and the taxpayers have to fix.[/QUOTE]
Tax payers have been paying tens of millions of dollars for the police being out there. Much more then some minor damage to a building.
[editline]30th January 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=asteroidrules;34453684]Yeah the protesters try to kill them and they defend themselves and their country.[/QUOTE]
Yep.
[QUOTE=CodeMonkey3;34453598]I don't understand.. So if my neighbor keeps taking my mail and using my wifi I have a right to break their windows because they've failed me as neighbors?
[editline]29th January 2012[/editline]
"OH no it'll be kent state again!! think of the protestors!!"
The National Guard have been sent in to disperse violent riots without injury or death to people, the military aren't baby killing savages with itchy trigger fingers. Half the time the fact the National Guard is there stops the problem all together.[/QUOTE]
Yeah lets start using the military as a police force, great idea.
Oh no, my liberal arts degree in creative writing and communications didn't get me a job!
Time to ransack city hall :rolleyes:
[QUOTE=EliteGuy;34453766]Oh no, my liberal arts degree in creative writing and communications didn't get me a degree!
Time to ransack city hall :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
Pretty sure you meant to say job.
Occupy is protesting against more than unemployment anyway, and you just generalized the entire movement which is in fact very diverse.
[QUOTE=BurningPlayd0h;34453808]Pretty sure you meant to say job.
Occupy is protesting against more than unemployment anyway, and you just generalized the entire movement which is in fact very diverse.[/QUOTE]
fixed
Well of course they are going to fucking do something like this if the police have [I]constantly[/I] attacked them for protesting. If they are not going to let them do something peaceful then yeah shit's going to get violent.
[QUOTE=Nikota;34453729]Tax payers have been paying tens of millions of dollars for the police being out there. Much more then some minor damage to a building.
[/QUOTE]
If they weren't causing any property damage then we wouldn't need the police out there.
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