posted January 29, 2012 03:08 PM            

300 arrested at Occupy protests in Oakland
After clashing with police, demonstrators break into City Hall and burn a U.S. flag. Mayor Quan calls on the movement to "stop using Oakland as its playground."
January 29, 2012, 6:20 a.m.

OAKLAND— Dozens of police maintained a late-night guard around City Hall in Oakland, California, following daylong protests that resulted in 300 arrests. Earlier, Occupy Oakland demonstrators broke into the historic building and burned a U.S. flag, and officers earlier fired tear gas to disperse people throwing rocks and tearing down fencing at a convention center.

Saturday's protests -- the most turbulent since Oakland police forcefully dismantled an Occupy encampment in November -- came just days after the group said it planned to use a vacant building as a social center and political hub and threatened to try to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.

An exasperated Mayor Jean Quan, who faced heavy criticism for the police action last fall, called on the Occupy movement to "stop using Oakland as its playground."

"People in the community and people in the Occupy movement have to stop making excuses for this behavior," Quan said.

Protesters clashed with police throughout the day, at times throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at officers. Police responded by deploying smoke, tear gas and bean bag rounds, City Administrator Deanna Santanta said.

Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan said about 300 arrests were made.

"These demonstrators stated their intention was to provoke officers and engage in illegal activity and that's exactly what has occurred today," Santana said.

The group assembled outside City Hall late Saturday morning and marched through the streets, disrupting traffic as they threatened to take over the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center.

The protesters walked to the vacant convention center, where some started tearing down perimeter fencing and "destroying construction equipment" shortly before 3 p.m., police said.

Police said they issued a dispersal order and used smoke and tear gas after some protesters pelted them with bottles, rocks, burning flares and other objects.

The number of demonstrators swelled as the day wore on, with afternoon estimates ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 people.

A majority of the arrests came after police took scores of protesters into custody as they marched through the city's downtown, with some entering a YMCA building, said Sgt. Jeff Thomason, a police spokesman.

Quan said that at one point, many protesters forced their way into City Hall, where they burned flags, broke an electrical box and damaged several art structures, including a recycled art exhibit created by children.

She blamed the destruction on a small "very radical, violent" splinter group within Occupy Oakland.

"This is not a situation where we had 1,000 peaceful people and a few violent people. If you look at what's happening today in terms of destructing property, throwing at and charging the police, it's almost like they are begging for attention and hoping that the police will make an error."

Dozens of officers surrounded City Hall, while others swept the inside of the building looking for protesters who had broken into the building, then ran out of the building with American flags before officers arrived.

The protest group issued an email criticizing police, saying "Occupy Oakland's building occupation, an act of constitutionally protected civil disobedience was disrupted by a brutal police response today."

Michael Davis, 32, who is originally from Ohio and was in the Occupy movement in Cincinnati, said Saturday was a very hectic day that originally started off calm but escalated when police began using "flash bangs, tear gas, smoke grenades and bean bags."

"What could've been handled differently is the way the Oakland police came at us," Davis said. "We were peaceful."

The national Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces corporate excess and economic inequality, began in New York City in the fall but has been largely dormant lately.

Oakland, New York and Los Angeles were among the cities with the largest and most vocal Occupy protests early on. The demonstrations ebbed after those cities used force to move out hundreds of demonstrators who had set up tent cities.

In Oakland, the police department received heavy criticism for using force to break up earlier protests. Quan was among the critics, but on Saturday, she seemed to have changed her tune.

"Our officers have been very measured," Quan said. "Were there some mistakes made? There may be. I would say the Oakland police and our allies, so far a small percentage of mistakes. "But quite frankly, a majority of protesters who were charging the police were clearly not being peaceful.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-mew-occupy-oakland-20120130,0,2890529.story

posted January 29, 2012 06:45 PM            

got footage? sounds to me like a lot of "he said, she said" going on even in the article.

surely someone filmed this?

just for the record i consider violence is ALWAYS counterproductive.

posted January 29, 2012 11:30 PM            

Yeah, buried in the he said, she said are Oakland police officers who needed medical treatment after Occupiers threw bottles and rocks and fired rockets at them.

Randall's right. These are acts of terrorism.

posted January 30, 2012 02:07 AM            

i do see her suggesting that people were provoking the police in the hope "that the police would make an error"...wonder what that means? that the violence used against police was not serious enough for the mayhem that followed?

i'm not excusing violence. i've yet to really investigate this report. i live a few miles from oakland and hadn't heard anything! still, it's all too easy to judge things we can't see.

you know, going around calling people terrorists these days is NOT okay. especially on hearsay. perhaps you don't care if people disappear, but anger is not terrorism. it can lead to it, but accusing people of terrorism can lead to traceless disappearances.

posted January 30, 2012 07:42 AM            

Yeah, after winding up these Marxists, Socialists, Progressives and Anarchists and sending them out to get in people's faces...as O'Bomber instructed; demoscats now realize these jerks have turned Americans off with their bullshiiit and hate America rhetoric.

It's not escaped anyone's attention that the Mayor of Oakland...and other demoscat Mayors welcomed the "Occupiers" with open arms.

posted January 30, 2012 03:35 PM            

don't you just love the fox famous accuracy? FIVE protesters and SEVERAL officers. no one counted the injured police? why not?

but - open arms and riot gear do not go together. how does one injure a padded, shielded, armed and helmetted police officer? how does one get within spitting distance of one? something doesn't ring true here...a piece of concrete SMALL ENOUGH TO THROW is unlikely to hurt such a figure. pipes, maybe. like i said, violence is no way to go about this, and i am not for it.

posted January 30, 2012 04:26 PM            

They broke into city hall, turned over display cabinets and trashed some youth art exhibits. Not to mention the usual...throwing rocks, concrete and bottles at police and shooting off rockets in their direction.

They've already destroyed property in addition to costing the near bankrupt city of Oakland about 5 million dollars. This is in addition to what they cost shippers, union dock workers and drivers when they shut down the Port of Oakland.

posted January 31, 2012 10:54 AM            

"I pledge allegiance to a flag of the imperialistic, capitalistic dictatorship.

And to the plutocracy for which it stands, depravity owned central bank, under the Jews.

With inequality and injustice for the 99."

posted February 06, 2012 11:23 AM            

The fans told them to, "Get a job!"

Fail. Only around 50 Obama-endorsed #Occupy protesters turned out today to protest the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. They were heckled by spectators who told them, "Get a job!"

Reuters reported:

"A small group of about 50 activists marched to Lucas Oil Stadium where the Super Bowl will be played later on Sunday to peacefully protest Indiana's new anti-union "right-to-work" law. Indiana on Wednesday became the 23rd state in the nation and the first in the U.S. industrial heartland to adopt a law allowing workers to avoid paying union dues at unionized businesses.

Supporters led by Indiana's Republican Governor Mitch Daniels have said it was necessary to attract jobs to the state. Critics including Democrats and unions called it "union busting" and have said it would lead to lower wages.

The small group of protesters walked peacefully the five blocks from downtown Indianapolis to the stadium, although the demonstrators were heckled along the route by some of the people they passed. "I think they need to get jobs," said Jeff Eichler, who was visiting Indianapolis from Baltimore, Maryland."

posted March 04, 2012 02:19 PM            

Some here have insisted the Occupier Crowd are a bunch of "idealists" just trying to make the world a better place.

I've insisted from the beginning the Occupiers are a bunch of America and American hating Marxist Socialist Progressives and Anarchists.

Time proved me right...pictures of their signs calling for the end of capitalism and marchers in their ranks carrying placards for the Communist Party and even the Revolutionary Communist Party...not to mention the list of their absurd demands.

So, who do you think are the natural friends of these "I hate America" jerks?

Well, they just held a conference in Tehran in Iran where the US is, you know....The Great Satan.

Now, isn't that exactly what everyone would expect "Idealists" would be doing? I mean consorting with the very people who want to destroy Israel and the United States. The very people who are the biggest supporters, funders and trainers of murderous terrorists in the world.

Way to go "Idealist Occupiers"!

‘The 1 Percent Criminals’: You’ll Never Guess Where Occupy Wall Street Supporters Held a Recent Conference
March 4, 2012
Sharona Schwartz

Those questioning the Occupy Wall Street protesters’ slogan that they represent the 99 percent may have just gotten more evidence to support their skepticism.

Turns out, three American Occupy Wall Street-supporting professors joined Iranian counterparts at Tehran University last month for an Occupy Wall Street conference. Quoting Iran’s Press TV – which refers those opposing the movement the “1 percent criminals” – the Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI) this weekend released a report on the event (video below):

“…university professors and scholars from around the world discussed various aspects of [the] Occupy Wall Street Movement“ and ”talked about the nature of the people that take part in the Wall Street movement, what effects it has had up to now, and its future.”

The meeting also took up what some might consider a questionable issue for American citizens to raise overseas and at that exact venue considering their nation’s current relations with the Islamic Republic: How Occupy Wall Street could impact the U.S. elections.

According to MEMRI’s transcription of a Press TV report, Prof. Alex Vitae of Brooklyn College said:

“…we know it’s had some impact both locally and nationally, but the impact has still been limited. I think many people are waiting to see what effect it may have on this year’s national elections, and whether or not this will have momentum that could have more far-reaching implications.”

A Fordham University professor was interviewed wearing a Muslim hijab, as is required attire for all female residents and visitors to Iran. Professor Heather Gautney of Fordham University said:

“…we have elections coming up in November, and I think that the movement is going to be incredibly active in pressuring politicians to start addressing issues of social inequality.”

Professor John Hammond of City University of New York provided information on upcoming “Occupy” events:

“…in May, the G-8 Summit will occur in Chicago, and many groups are planning to converge on Chicago with some kind of demonstration.”

Despite the “Occupy” movement’s scarce impact on policy, Press TV parroted the Occupy Wall Street 99 percent rallying cry, per MEMRI:

The Press TV correspondent concluded his report with the following statement: “At the end of the discussion, the speakers said that the Occupy Wall Street movement is just the tip of the iceberg, because a global movement is also on the way, which seeks to, and will, redesign the world order in favor of the 99% of the world.”

Besides the professors, there were other American participants in the conference. MEMRI reports:

One of them was Abdul Alim Musa, imam of the Masjid Al-Islam mosque in Washington DC, who is known for speaking in support of jihad and martyrdom, as well as his anti-American and antisemitic statements, including blaming terrorist attacks such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, 9/11, and the failed 2009 Christmas Day airplane bombing on the government.

At the conference, Musa told Press TV about the OWS movement’s mission of fighting “global Zionism” which, he said, uses “interest” and “debt” to “control the world.” […] “And I believe that Wall Street is fighting the monster of the day. The monster is not the Shoah [Holocaust] – the monster today is global Zionism. You’re using riba and interest – the tool that they use to control the world, to control each state, and each area of the world, is debt.”

In his address to the conference on February 14, Abdul Alim Musa “deplored the ruling establishment in the U.S., insisting that there is no democracy and human equality in the country.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/the-1-p ercent-criminals-youll-never-guess-where-occupy-wall-street-supporters-held-a-recent-conference/

posted March 09, 2012 11:22 AM            

"It's shaping up to be a busy spring for Occupy. The movement born last year in a New York City park has come roaring back to life this week after a period of hibernation. It promises to be even livelier in weeks and months to come...All around the U.S., other Occupy actions are in the works...

In Manhattan, veterans of the original Occupy Wall Street have just returned from a five-week bus tour of 12 Northeaster cities, where they met with counterparts to exchange ideas, network and offer seminars on such practicalities as how to organize a march. "It was pretty cool," says Occupier Pete Dutrow, who says he has been "pretty much a full-time activist" since the Occupy movement started. He was a member of the Finance Working Group in and has now moved on to other projects...On April 28, Occupy Cleveland will kick off a celebratory event called Occupy The HeartFest, which will serve as a kind of warm-up for the NATO protests in Chicago and for a nationwide General Strike planned for May 1st.

The May Day General Strike calls for workers and students around the country not to show up for work or school. The idea, say organizers, will be to show the "1 percent" what life without the "99 percent" would look like. In New York City, Occupy Wall Street has discussed a morning disruption of commerce, followed by a mid-day demonstration in support of immigrant rights, capped off by an evening march." http://abcnews.go.com/Business/occupy-wall-street-movement-pla ns-spring-surprises/story?id=15870450#.T1kY5pdSRzF

posted March 09, 2012 11:37 AM            

"Last Saturday, a group of protesters including veterans of Occupy Richmond gathered peacefully on the steps of the Virginia State Capitol to protest the state's latest assault on women's rights. They were surrounded by riot police and dragged away under the guns of a SWAT team armed with automatic weapons - a startling reminder that the "War on Women" is not simply empty rhetoric.

Across the United States, women's rights are under attack. In a desperate ploy to distract public attention from the growing divide between rich and poor, agents of the 1% in government and media are crusading with fresh fervor against abortion, birth control, and gay marriage. By launching a renewed culture war on women, LGBT people, and other vulnerable communities, they hope to divide the 99%.

We will not be divided. Occupy Wall Street stands in solidarity with women and all oppressed people targeted by government control and economic violence.

March 8th, is International Women's Day. International Women’s Day has been rooted in the struggle for economic justice, growing out of local demonstrations by women workers demanding shorter hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to discrimination. Thousands of events will be taking place across the globe. Occupations in cities and towns across the world are marking the event with a variety of events, from discussions on women, capitalism, and the state to marches for reproductive justice and against cuts to public school and transportation funding.

In the United States and across the globe, women, transgender people, and gender non-conforming people still face a host of barriers that make survival in this economy even more difficult. Women make up 51 percent of the world’s population but 70 percent of the world’s poor. They perform 66 percent of the world’s work, produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10 percent of the income and own less than 1 percent of the world’s property. Women and trans people suffer disproportionately under a system of economic inequality, and are also at the front lines of social justice struggles.

posted March 09, 2012 04:41 PM            

LEGAL MANDATES
1.Proclamation No. 224, “Declaring the First Week of March of Every Year as Women’s Week and March 8, 1988 and Every Year Thereafter as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day”
- signed on March 1, 1988
2.Proclamation No, 227, “Providing for the observance of the Month of March as ‘Women’s Role in History Month’” - signed on March 17, 1988.
3.Proclamation No. 744- “Declaring the Last Monday of March of Every Year as Women with Disabilities Day”
- signed on December 6, 2004
4.R.A. 6949, “An Act to Declare March Eight of Every Year as a Working Special Holiday to be Known as National Women’s Day”
- signed on April 10, 1990

It is sad that on IWD Virginia Gov Bob McDonnell signed his ultrasound law. Due to national outrage he modified/ dropped the transvaginal sonogram, replacing it with abdominal sonogram, in which a wand is rubbed over a woman's belly.

Interesting signing date? Not

posted March 09, 2012 06:51 PM            

How appropriate that the Marxists, Socialists and Progressives of the Occupier twits would schedule an event on May Day...which is the International Communist Party equivalent of the American Labor Day.

Don't forget your..."Capitalism Has Failed" signs and banners. Don't forget your "Down with America" signs and banners and don't forget your..."Give Communism a Chance" signs and banners.

posted March 10, 2012 02:19 PM            

does that make the catholic church communists? or both of them opportunists?

posted March 11, 2012 01:43 PM            

Almost Broke, Occupy Wall Street Should Scale Down Its Goals
The problem with socialists, Margaret Thatcher so aptly quipped, “is that they always run out of other people’s money.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kylesmith/2012/01/18/almost-broke-occ upy-wall-street-should-scale-down-its-goals/

'Occupy Wall Street' Could Be Broke in a Month
Low donations threaten the protest group's activities
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/01/17/occupy-wall-street-could-be-broke-in -a-month

posted March 11, 2012 03:13 PM            

don't you think if they were so driven by the left and its funding that funding would keep coming?

ps. it doesn't take a lot of money to turn up, sign your name, and speak up. legal fees have been next to nil since plenty of lawyers are more than willing to work pro bono on these cases, and what exactly else is the cost?

the internet communications are free, too. what an expensive movement this has NOT been!

times have changed, and so is the face of OWS changing. the camps drew attention to the protests and to the establishment (left and right) attitude to it...beat it over the head any way you can!

the above posts look like wishful thinking to me...