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Battle for Occupy Oakland - Occupiers Undaunted by Massive Police Attacks, 10/25/11: video
Once the 1500-person march reached the intersection of 14th & Broadway, almost immediately police declared an unlawful assembly and warned protesters about the use of "chemical agents" and the "serious injuries" that might be inflicted upon them by police weapons. Marchers then turned up Broadway to reconvene elsewhere in order to discuss strategies regarding retaking Oscar Grant Plaza which had been raided early that morning. The march stopped at 20th Street and Franklin, within the vicinity of numerous downtown banks, to discuss the role banks play in the growing economic inequality in this country. Marchers then convened an impromptu General Assembly at the foot of Snow Park by Lake Merritt to discuss how best to return to Oscar Grant Plaza. Once back at 14th & Broadway, police immediately declared an unlawful assembly and then, when protesters refused to leave, police began to disperse massive amounts of tear gas, hurling flash bang grenades and firing projectiles at anyone in the street. The 12th Street BART station was closed after passengers waiting underground began to be effected by the noxious CS gas flowing into the station. Residents in the area reported the gas filling their apartments and effecting them and their companion animals. At street level, marchers would retreat from the intersection of 14th & Broadway after a police attack only to return later to receive further chemical weapon and projectile attacks by police. This continued into the night, with at least four major volleys of police gas and countless people injured by projectiles, including Scott Olsen who was critically injured when a projectile struck him in the forehead. Nevertheless, protesters refused to allow the police attacks to hinder their determination to re-occupy the plaza.
(video 8:12)
The video here picks up in the middle of the photo series linked directly below, when marchers were "at 16th and Broadway, preparing to return to Oscar Grant Plaza."
On the day following these police attacks, nearly two thousand people returned to the area, tore down fencing that the city had placed to keep occupiers out, retook the plaza, and held the largest General Assembly to date, which voted 1484 to 46 for an Oakland general strike on Wednesday, November 2nd. Police had been ordered to pull back and not interfere with occupiers after their massive attacks on protesters the night before. A huge march was held after the General Assembly. Marchers attempted to enter the 12th Street BART station to ride to San Francisco in solidarity with Occupy SF which had been threatened with a police raid that night, but BART closed the station instead. Marchers then considered taking the Bay Bridge by foot to get to San Francisco, but opted not to in the end. As the march was eventually returning to Oscar Grant Plaza, in a stark contrast to the night before, the same OPD loudspeaker SUV that had been declaring unlawful assemblies before was used to announce repeatedly, "Marchers, BART has reopened the 12th Street station," presumably hoping numerous demonstrators would use the trains to leave the area. The first tents went back up that evening. Within days, Oscar Grant Plaza was fully re-occupied with most of the facilities smashed by police having returned in full bloom. Once again, the plaza bustles with life as the General Strike approaches.
Battle for Occupy Oakland - Occupiers Undaunted by Massive Police Attacks, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/31/18696346.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Post-Raid March, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/31/18696301.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland - Rally at Main Library Against Raids, 10/25/11: photos & audio
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/29/18695957.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland - Oscar Grant Plaza Aftermath at Dawn, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/28/18695785.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Police Raid at Snow Park, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/28/18695680.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Moves to Downtown Streets, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/28/18695658.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Begins with Police Raid, 10/25/11: video
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/26/18695385.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Begins with Police Raid, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/26/18695333.php
Occupy Oakland Raid - Barricades and Police Arrival, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/25/18695005.php
Oakland Police Gleeful Over Demolition of Occupy Oakland, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/25/18694945.php
For more information:
The video here picks up in the middle of the photo series linked directly below, when marchers were "at 16th and Broadway, preparing to return to Oscar Grant Plaza."
On the day following these police attacks, nearly two thousand people returned to the area, tore down fencing that the city had placed to keep occupiers out, retook the plaza, and held the largest General Assembly to date, which voted 1484 to 46 for an Oakland general strike on Wednesday, November 2nd. Police had been ordered to pull back and not interfere with occupiers after their massive attacks on protesters the night before. A huge march was held after the General Assembly. Marchers attempted to enter the 12th Street BART station to ride to San Francisco in solidarity with Occupy SF which had been threatened with a police raid that night, but BART closed the station instead. Marchers then considered taking the Bay Bridge by foot to get to San Francisco, but opted not to in the end. As the march was eventually returning to Oscar Grant Plaza, in a stark contrast to the night before, the same OPD loudspeaker SUV that had been declaring unlawful assemblies before was used to announce repeatedly, "Marchers, BART has reopened the 12th Street station," presumably hoping numerous demonstrators would use the trains to leave the area. The first tents went back up that evening. Within days, Oscar Grant Plaza was fully re-occupied with most of the facilities smashed by police having returned in full bloom. Once again, the plaza bustles with life as the General Strike approaches.
Battle for Occupy Oakland - Occupiers Undaunted by Massive Police Attacks, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/31/18696346.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Post-Raid March, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/31/18696301.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland - Rally at Main Library Against Raids, 10/25/11: photos & audio
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/29/18695957.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland - Oscar Grant Plaza Aftermath at Dawn, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/28/18695785.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Police Raid at Snow Park, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/28/18695680.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Moves to Downtown Streets, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/28/18695658.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Begins with Police Raid, 10/25/11: video
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/26/18695385.php
Battle for Occupy Oakland Begins with Police Raid, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/26/18695333.php
Occupy Oakland Raid - Barricades and Police Arrival, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/25/18695005.php
Oakland Police Gleeful Over Demolition of Occupy Oakland, 10/25/11: photos
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/25/18694945.php
For more information:
For more information:
http://www.indybay.org/occupyoakland
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