Forum Post: Occupy Oakland - Goodbye
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 25, 2011, 12:31 p.m. EST by OccupyDC
(153)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
The party is over at Occupy Oakland.
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_19188591
"Before dawn Tuesday, at least 200 police, many in riot gear, tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment in front of City Hall and arrested dozens of people. A smaller camp near Lake Merritt was also dismantled.
Early reports from police say the raids went smoothly, with all protesters cleared out of the downtown Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in less than 30 minutes.
After the raids concluded, Mayor Jean Quan said the plaza will remain open as a free speech gathering place "for peaceful protest" during park hours, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Police surrounded the plaza about 4:45 a.m., moving in and then taking down tents and barricades erected by the group, which had been camped there since Oct. 10 in support of the Occupy Wall Street effort.
Many protesters were handcuffed and led away by police from the camp at 14th Street and Broadway. Many others left on their own.
Police in riot gear, armed with billy clubs and some with shotguns or tear gas, entered the camp and overturned tents and the campers' wooden stalls quickly. What was left looked like a hurricane-struck refugee camp. They ripped up dozens of cardboard signs, overturned a couch and when it was over there were scraps of carpet, personal belongings and trash all over the plaza."
Do we have lawyers?
Lawyers for what?
It is illegal to camp in a city park.
OWS people are not immune from the law and the rules that apply to everyone else.
That's right DC inform the people of the rules ... You most follow the rules ... Even the banks follow the rules that is why nobody from the banks went to jail ... If you don't like the rules, you most contribute enough money to your elected official or officials to have them change the rules. If money for the officials campaigns is not enough you most give their relotives high paying jobs. Then they might change the rules for you
They might not camp, but if they take 100 people, I dont think there where 100 tents?? All the people was not camping. Many where arrested just because been on the sidewalk.
You do know that people get to have a trial right?
People have a constitutional right to freedom of assembly, to redress grievances,. or is fascism more your style?
Even murderers get arrested before they get a trial... What does your question have to do with anything? The fact is, they were given ample time to comply with a cease and desist letter from the mayor and they chose not to. I know there are "bad" or "rogue" cops out there, but why are you trying to villainize all cops for doing their job - law enforcement?
OccupyDC said "Lawyers for what?" I simple mentioned that people arrested do need lawyers because there is a trial,. . "you trying to villainize all cops for doing their job" really? where??
You need a permit.
People do have a right to assembly. The permitting process in way inhibits that right.
That is settled case law. Your argument holds no weight or validity.
You sound like a smart lawyer. What is your phone number so I can ask you for advice?
The "notice of violations and demand to cease violations" came a day after a preliminary letter that urged the residents to vacate the camp because of what the city said were a host of problems, including fighting, vandalism, public urination and other sanitation and public health issues. Officials said an existing rat problem in the area was being made worse by the encampment, which had about 100 tents at one point.
So, the occupiers were provided with a notice to cease (for specifically cited reasons, did not comply, and were shut down -- and you need lawyers for??? You should note, there was no mention of the city's intent to violate free speech here. In fact, the mayor's office issued support on behalf of many citizens of Oakland - and conceded a compromise to allow peacable protests during park hours... Yes, you have a right to peaceably assemble and to free speech, but exercising the right does not mean you are relieved of the responsibilities to exercise the right, and it doesn't mean you are permitted to act outside of the law in doing so either.
trumped up charges are trumped up charges
the use of non-violent protest is being responded to with suppression and overtly threatening behavior. Just another example of the attempt to intimidate. The right to assembly, association and redress of grievances far outweigh manufactured reasons given to suppress.
...then they fight you, then you win...
get on the correct side
You conveniently forget the very first part of that 1st amendment... "Congress shall make no laws....."
In this case, you're talking about city ordinances and/or perhaps county and state ordinances... In this case, the 9th and 10th amendments clearly authorize the city to conduct these actions if people aren't acting in compliance with local ordinances that are not directly in violation of the 1st. If the city can show just cause to enforce their law (health, sanitation, public violations of law, etc), then sorry - you don't have a leg to stand on no matter how much you cry out that they are "trumped up charges".
BTW - don't mistake my statements here as me being on "the wrong side" or against OWS... I am a pragmatic person who is closely watching the movement and attending the occupy rally in my own city when I have down time from my own work. The bottom line is this - Complaining about law enforcement officials who are enforcing the law does not help the cause...
There were visible rats in the daytime. Protesters had to put up signs to ask other protestors not to urinate on their tents.
Not the same group.
Then I recommend putting fences up around everyone to corral the "good protestors" and the "bad protestors". That way the cops know who to shoo away. Rats are also very active at night (even moreso than in the day time), so maybe the cops shooing people away is actually a good thing for the health of the protestors who would be nibbled on while they sleep... I don't know - not been to the Oakland Occupy since I am on the east coast. What I do know is that people in my city have done all the right things, got the right permits, and followed the laws to avoid drugs, sex, vandalism, and whatnot - and they aren't being harrassed by cops here.
Great free speech zone during park hours... Now go back to work or shopping ... Nothing to see sheepeople
the oakland occupy became over run with anarchists and criminals.
i hate to say it but in this case, the occupy needed to get shut down.
we do need to regroup, but not with an occupy in every city. we need an information - not protest centered revolution.
http://occupythiswiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.followthemoney.org/?gclid=CMbY87bB-qsCFUPt7Qod9HE8mQ
http://maplight.org/us-congress/guide/data/money?9gtype=search&9gkw=list%20of%20campaign%20donations&9gad=6213192521.1&9gag=1786513361&gclid=CP61oYbB-qsCFQFZ7AodcTF0jw
http://www.opensecrets.org/
http://occupywallst.org/forum/non-violence-evolution-by-paradigm-shift/
What I detect is that OWS groups seem continually surprised that different police departments have different response patterns and different cultures.
So, in Albany, when the city cops and state troopers say they're not going to oust protesters, everyone's all "Yay! The cops are coming around!"
Then when in Oakland the cops act like Oakland cops do, everyone's all "Boo! This is unbelievable!"
The Albany and Oakland cops are only acting in what they perceive are their own interests. Albany cops have different expectations coming down from their leadership, while Oakland cops are obviously under some sort of pressure to clear out a peaceful gathering.
Local cops will do what local cops do. So that means that occupying will actually be a useful strategy in some cities, and doomed to fail in others.
the whole occupy movement needs to center in one location. new york on wall street. No war of any type either a war of words or a war of guns has ever been won by seperating its forces. we must all unite in one place. the heart of the greed. wall st. if america doesnt wake from its slumber then the social and peacefull life we live will falter and die. it is on its last legs now. democracy works but only if the people within it are listened to. we must as a republic and as humanity practise what we preech. the whole world is watching.
They got you comin and goin
Goodbye? The will of the people is not so weak that one raid will send them all packing. They will be out again and in greater numbers.
No Problemo!! Just dust the 'Injustice' Off.. and go right back!
More of this will follow soon....Here is a guy who knows how to actually do it..
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/wayne-rogers-occupy-wall-street-misguided-save-america-122420603.html%20?sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=