At approximately 2am on October 25th, expecting a police raid at Occupy Oakland in Oscar Grant Plaza, occupiers began to erect barricades along the perimeter and access ways to the plaza. At 4:30am, over 500 police surrounded the plaza. Oakland police were backed up by fifteen other police departments. Several occupiers linked arms at the edge of the barricades in the front of the plaza.

As police approached the barricades at the plaza entrance at 14th Street and Broadway, at least one occupier discharged two small fire extinguishers in the direction of the police line. Police responded by firing projectiles and tear gas shells and hand-lobbing at least one flash-bang grenade over the barricades. As police moved forward and began to disassemble the barricades on the Broadway and 14th Street sides of the plaza, occupiers moved deeper into the plaza, many leaving the plaza through an escape route on the opposite side of the plaza that police had left open temporarily.

Police proceeded to march through the camp tearing down tents, knocking over shelving, and pulling down almost everything that stood in the plaza. Police closed their encirclement of the plaza on all sides and announced that those who remained were under arrest. Over 70 people were arrested within the plaza during the raid, several reporting that they were shoved down to the ground and hit with batons before they were handcuffed and transported to either North County or Santa Rita jail. Within twenty minutes from the time police first fired into the camp, the occupation site was flattened, the plaza was cleared of all occupiers, and police began to disperse from the center of the plaza. Police proceeded to set up metal barricades around the plaza. Occupation Oakland at Snow Park was raided two hours later by hundreds of police. Six people were arrested. Occupiers and supporters who were not arrested protested at both Snow Park and Oscar Grant Plaza through the morning, several of whom were also arrested.

At 4pm, well over one thousand supporters gathered at the main Oakland public library to decry the police raid and to emphasize the importance of continuing with Occupy Oakland. After rallying for over an hour with multiple speakers, the large crowd marched through downtown and attempted to show support for arrestees at North County jail on 7th Street. Police blocked the marchers path and began to make arrests and use tear gas after marchers attempted to push through a police line. The march returned to 14th and Broadway where Alameda County Sheriff's deputies and other Bay Area police forces repeatedly deployed massive amounts of tear gas and fired projectiles into the crowd throughout the night. Numerous people were injured, some seriously when projectiles were fired at the heads of protesters.

On October 26th, a vigil was held for Scott Olsen, a US Marine veteran who remains in a medically-induced coma in "stable but critical condition" at Highland Hospital. Occupy Oakland announced plans to reconvene at 14th and Broadway: "We will do this everyday until we #RetakeThePlaza." At 6pm, occupiers removed fencing and again took Oscar Grant Plaza, holding their daily General Assembly. The General Assembly voted 1484 to 46 for an Oakland general strike on Wednesday, November 2nd.

Read more with photos, audio and video: Occupy Oakland Photo Gallery | Nov. 2nd: Oakland General Strike Anti-Capitalist March | Blockade Port of Oakland During Nov 2 General Strike | November 2nd General Strike and Mass Day of Action Resolution | Occupy Oakland General Strike and Mass Day of Action | Oct. 31: Occupy Oakland General Strike and Mass Day of Action Press Conference: video | The Insurrection—Oakland Style: A History | Copwatch@Occupy Oakland: Beware of Police Infiltrators and Provocateurs | Oct. 30: Occupy Oakland Encampment Creates A Community | The Militarization of the Police | Oct. 29: Uhuru Solidarity Movement speaks at Occupy Oakland | Why You Should Join the Wed., Nov. 2, Oakland General Strike | Marching through Oakland against police brutality | End Police Brutality in Oakland Part Two | End Police Brutality in Oakland Part One | Stop Police Brutality in Oakland | Scott Olsen Cannot Talk, General Strike Nov. 2! | Carpenters Local 713 Supports Call for Nov. 2 General Strike in Oakland | March Against the Police State | Oct. 28: Occupy Oakland | Oscar Grant Plaza Photography | The Battle of Oakland and the Occupy Movement | Third Issue of the Occupation Times released | "Occupy, the 'Battles of Oakland', and the Face of US Police Abuse" | Union Support for General Strike and Protests Nov. 2 | Defend Occupy Oakland With The Muscle Of Organized Labor-Statement Of ILWU Members | 1946: The Oakland General Strike [the last general strike in the U.S.] | Oct. 27: Egyptians march from Tahrir Square to support Occupy Oakland protestors | General Strike: Where Ows Needs To Go | Mayor Quan backs down on Occupy Oakland eviction | Mayor Jean Quan's Statement to Occupy Oakland | Police Informant Returns | Veterans Respond To Oakland Police Attack That Critically Injured Marine | How to send a card to Scott Olsen | Vigil for Scott Olsen @ Occupy Berkeley | Vigil for Scott Olsen at Occupy Oakland | Oct. 26: Occupy Oakland | Reclamation, Defense, and Injuries | Screen Grabs Show Scale of Oakland March | OccupyOakland/ the Oakland Commune | Daily Show: Parks and Demonstration - Oakland Riot | "We Are One Hand" Oakland Enters World Stage as Commune Calls for General Strike | Indybay Breaking News Reports from Occupy Oakland | Vigil for Scott Olsen, US Marine Vet in Serious Condition after Oakland Police Raid | Oct. 25th: Battle for Occupy Oakland - Palo Alto PD Attack Indybay Reporter | The pre-dawn raid of Oct 25 | Jack London's great-granddaughter on Tuesday's police riot | Battle for Occupy Oakland - Undaunted by Massive Police Attacks: video | Battle for Occupy Oakland - Undaunted by Massive Police Attacks: photos | Battle for Occupy Oakland Post-Raid March: photos | Police raid on Occupy Oakland | More images of the last Oakland protest | Battle for Occupy Oakland - Rally at Main Library Against Raids: photos & audio | Battle for Occupy Oakland - Oscar Grant Plaza Aftermath at Dawn: photos | Massive Police Presence at Occupy Oakland | Battle for Occupy Oakland Police Raid at Snow Park: photos | Battle for Occupy Oakland Moves to Downtown Streets: photos | Occupy Oakland | #OccupyOakland vignettes | COPWATCH VIDEO: Oakland Police Tear Gas Occupy Oakland | Occupy Oakland March Photos | Occupy Oakland | Occupy Oakland March Photos | Battle for Occupy Oakland Begins with Police Raid, 10/25/11: video | Battle for Occupy Oakland Begins with Police Raid: photos | Indybay Breaking News Reports from Occupy Oakland | Oakland mobilizes to defend Occupy Oakland | Tear Gas antidotes | Images of the Oakland protest | Tear gas at 14th and Broadway | highlights from todays occupy oakland march | Protester injured by Police projectile at Occupy Oakland march at city hall | Oakland: Screen Grabs from Helicopter Raw Feed | Inside the Shocking Police Crackdown on OccupyOakland: Tear Gas...An eyewitness account... | 16 police agencies attack Occupy Oakland; Call Alameda Cty DA to drop charges | Occupy Oakland Official Press Release | Occupy Oakland Raid - Barricades and Police Arrival: photos | OPD raids Occupy Oakland | Alameda Labor Council Decries Eviction of Occupy Oakland Demonstrators | California Nurses Condemn Mayor Quan’s Raid on Occupy Oakland | Police Attack Occupy Oakland Camp | Oakland Police Gleeful Over Demolition of Occupy Oakland, 10/25/11: photos | Occupy Oakland Encampment trashed by Police, Part 2 | Photos of police raid on occupy Oakland | Occupy Oakland Encampment trashed by City, Police | Occupy Oakland activists call for solidarity after police violence | Barricades are being built at OccupyOakland--police raid imminent

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