Police, City Leaders, and Occupy protesters were at it again over the weekend, as protesters marched to a vacant city property in an attempt to re-establish their camp. This time, the protesters set their sights on the city’s convention center. However, the protests, which had mostly been peaceful, were far from it this time.
Using a crow bar, protesters broke into City Hall, vandalized the property, destroying a 100 year old model of City Hall, stealing state and US flags, and burning them on the front steps of the building. Police, who had been alerted of the protest and their intent to re-take a building, moved in to end the protest. That’s when the situation escalated.
Only after three police officers were injured, including one who was struck in the face by a bicycle, and more than 400 protesters were arrested. Several protesters also sustained minor injuries.
Now, the organizers of the protest are accusing the police of illegally using rubber bullets, beanbags, and tear gas against them.
As you may recall, it was recently reported that the original Occupy Oakland protests caused more than $3M in damages.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Oakland officials and Occupy protesters Sunday confronted the fallout from their continuing conflict, a fight that reignited Saturday with a chaotic, often violent day of demonstrations that resulted in at least 400 arrests.
A day after Saturday’s clashes, city officials took stock of the damage, which included injuries to three police officers and several protesters, as well as vandalism inside City Hall.
There, dozens of protesters had broken in with a crowbar, grabbed California and U.S. flags, and ignited them on the front steps.
Read the full article here.