The Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in Oakland, California and Atlanta, Georgia turned violent yesterday. The mayors of both cities moved to rescind executive orders allowing Occupy Oakland and Occupy Atlanta from using public parks to encamp in. In Atlanta, police arrested 52 protesters, including one man armed with an assault rifle. In Oakland, police were forced to fire tear gas to break up a large crowd of angry protesters. An Iraq war veteran, Scott Olsen, was severely injured when struck in the head by one such munition. The mayors of Oakland and Atlanta cite their reasons for cracking down on the protesters stem from rampant lawlessness, and other civil and health code violations.
The action began Tuesday morning in Oakland, when police moved into the Occupy Oakland encampment at the Frank Ogawa Plaza, arresting 97 people. Some 170 were removed from the site. Reports of criminal assault, including one incident where a protester allegedly had a dog attack a reporter, has become too much. Health conditions had also became a major concern due to a lack of sanitation facilities. Some 500 protesters then marched on the main branch of the Oakland Public Library, then proceeded towards the park to reclaim their encampment. As police blocked them, about 100 protesters then marched on City Hall that evening. Police gave three orders for the group to disperse before firing tear gas. Protesters claim that police also fired rubber bullets and explosive ′flash-bang′ grenades. Oakland police deny these charges.
In Atlanta, Mayor Kasim Reed ordered police to clear the Occupy Atlanta protesters from Woodruff Park Tuesday evening. He states that conditions were unsafe, as the encampment were using propane heaters and had tanks of propane stored improperly inside tents. An electrical generator had also been smuggled into the park without permission. Police then grew concerned when one protester was walking about the encampment with an AK-47 assault rifle. Mayor Reed had originally gave the Occupy Atlanta group permission to remain in the park past the normal 11pm curfew only for ten days, from October 7 through 17. He had granted an extension due to a music concert held there this past Saturday. The park was cleared out following the 52 arrests and barricades and police and kept protesters from returning today.
We are seeing more and more cases throughout the country as these various offshoots of the Occupy Wall Street protests grow more brazen and violent. Criminal activity has soared in many cities, including New York, as police resources are siphoned away to monitor the encampments such as at Occupy Oakland and Occupy Atlanta. Park facilities normally open to the general public have become unsanitary nests and dangerous as muggings, rapes and other forms of assault increase. The mayors of Oakland and Atlanta have acted to restore order and clear these public spaces for the general public to use again. Protesters grew violent, particularly in Oakland, where police were forced to fire tear gas to disperse a crowd. There, and Iraqi war veteran, Scott Olson, was severely injured by being struck in the head by a tear gas grenade.
October 26th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Protesters claim that police also fired rubber bullets and explosive ′flash-bang′ grenades. Oakland police deny these charges.
Yeah, someone did “turn violent”. Like this, where a police officer quite deliberately throws a flash-grenade into the center of a crowd of American Citizens that is clearly attending a person who is already injured and laying on the ground. It’s video, so you can watch it and make up your own mind.
Be aware that what is appearing in the media is not necessarily the full story. Not that there’s anything new about that, but now citizens have cameras too…
October 27th, 2011 at 4:57 am
@ ‘Me’,
Needless to say, I deleted your second post as it was repetitive, as well as your unapproved link. The Oakland police did not fire rubber bullets, they fired bean-bag rounds from their shotguns. A much kinder form of munition. They did not use flash-bangs either, only tear gas grenades.
Of course, you ignore the fact that the police gave the protesters three warnings before they took action. The protesters defied authority and paid the price. Its too bad that one man was severely injured, but maybe he should have obeyed the law? BTW, 2 police officers were also injured that night from being struck by rocks and bottles thrown by protesters.
October 27th, 2011 at 6:03 am
Andy scrubbin’ away.
For those interested:
A man is injured and on the ground (who happens to be a US Marine vet), so a small crowd of perhaps 15-20 people approach to help him out. The small crowd was clearly trying to help the man when a police officer on the other side of a barricade nonchalantly tosses a flash grenade right in the middle of the tightly formed group, which then explodes.
I’m sure Andy will scrub this post as well, because that’s what Republicans do. They prefer their news to be filtered and to conform to their ideas.
October 27th, 2011 at 6:16 am
@ Snow
I watched the video and it is obvious that the grenade was a tear gas type, NOT a flash-bang. You guys wouldn’t know a flash-bang from a flashbulb.
What did you expect the police officer to do? He was barely a dozen or so feet away when a swarm of protesters converged towards him. Maybe if the protesters had obeyed the police, backed off, then asked them to help the wounded Iraqi war veteran, the police would have been free to come around from the barricade to assist and get the young man to the hospital.
October 27th, 2011 at 6:50 am
How come when the police are breaking up the OWS protesters you describe them as our saviors in blue, but when police presence was seen at TP rallies they were “Obama’s jack-booted thugs?”
October 27th, 2011 at 10:29 am
Have no respect for these so called protestors.
A bunch of spoil brats who think the world owes them a living. The left are always mad because they want someone else to provide for their daily needs and luxuries, while they contemplate life. That is not reality but that is the realm they want to live in while imposing on responsible citizens who provide for themselves. If you hate the banks and crony capitalism stop voting the Democrats into power. The left caused this economic mess.
October 27th, 2011 at 11:13 am
From the Left: “It’s all the right’s fault!”
From the right: “It’s all the left’s fault!”
F*cking nothing but whiners on both sides. The idiocy on both sides has caused a stale-mate. Have fun watching other countries blow by us while we implode because our politically divided country has become nothing but a bunch of whinny brats who can’t agree on a single God d@mned thing.
But, I know, I know – it’s the left’s fault. Blah-blah-blah.
It’s both sides. DEAL WITH IT.
October 27th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Andy… pretty pathetic. first deleting the video that completely undercuts your assertion about what ocurred. then you lie about it. too bad. peoplewho saw it have already called out your lie.
And then you delete the second post which made a completely different point–it was a video of a right wing propogandist admitting on camera to passing out bongs to protesters so he could document it and sell the undercover “sting” to fox and oher right wing media.
the battle to define the protesters is underway and you and your side are being called out right and left.
October 27th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
“occurred”… “propagandist” etc.. ugh… I hate typing on a tablet.
October 27th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
I drove through Atlanta this week….Swear I could smell moonbatty stench from the by-pass…Guess those folks failed the NO FREE RIDE class.
Pathetic.
October 27th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Post of the month to Snow. Well ranted!
October 28th, 2011 at 12:10 am
Occupy Portland filed for incorporation.
Any of you lefty’s see the irony??
October 28th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Wow flyingmonkey– you’re so insightful. Actually, there was a lot of internal debate at the one general assembly I went to about whether or not incorporating as a 501c3 or 501c4 would be appropriate.
Except ya see– OWS generally isn’t against *all* corporations– only those that manipulate, abuse, and buy the political players, those who get out of paying taxes or pollute the environment or abuse workers or put the entire economy in existential danger– that is, bankers, huge industries.. not non-profits.
There is no “irony” if you have an understanding of what OWS is about. You’re not likely to gain much understanding on this site though. (hint: the circle-A “anarchy” symbol has nothing to do with OWS or its goals.)
October 29th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Its a fcking joke
October 29th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
period
October 29th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Its been 3 weeks and Arlo Guthrie still aint showed…
go home, or away
October 30th, 2011 at 5:01 am
“There is no “irony” if you have an understanding of what OWS is about.”
Sorry Me, but OWS doesn’t understand what OWS is about!!
October 30th, 2011 at 5:11 am
Another rape at the NYC OWS and like good little soldiers, nobody will snitch or involve the police.
If the free food was an invitation to the “professional homeless” what can this possibly be saying to the serial rapist.