UPDATE!!! Oakland Police using LRAD on protesters!
UPDATE!!! Oakland Police using LRAD on protesters!
A tense scene is unfolding in Oakland right now as protesters, attempting to reclaim the plaza from which they were evicted early this morning, face off with police—who’ve used tear gas and percussion grenades on the occupiers.
The Occupy Oakland encampment in Frank Ogawa Plaza—renamed Oscar Grant Plaza by its new residents—was kicked out by Oakland police using smoke grenades on Tuesday morning over what authorities claimed were “sanitary and public safety concerns.” At least 75 people were arrested in the process, and protesters say three were hurt. “I think we allowed people to exercise their rights to free speech and free assembly,” OPD Chief Howard Jordan told reporters.
But the Oakland movement is one of the largest in the country, and as many as 1000 occupiers met this afternoon outside the public library to begin a march back to their plaza. The police had barricaded the plaza and threatened to arrest the protesters unless they dispersed; some protesters were arrested and others were tear-gassed. The crowd appears to be moving, but it’s not clear that there’s a direction; we’ll update this post as the situation develops.
You can watch a live helicopter feed of the demonstration on ABC 7’s website here.
Update: Alternet’s Josh Holland reports that 500 people have been tear-gassed; others on Twitter say flash-bangs and percussion grenades have been used as well. Live helicopter camera feeds from ABC and CBS were apparently cut off right before the police threw the gas grenades. (Update:They’re back!) Left, a picture of riot cops in gas masks via @jankyhellface.
[image of protesters in cloud of tear gas via @Adreadonymous]
99vs1 