Police dismantling tents, interfaith protesters arrested

Twitter photo, 5:24 m, downtown Oakland, http://twitpic.com/7e5noj

Twitter photo, 5:24 m, downtown Oakland, http://twitpic.com/7e5noj

In an early morning action coordinated by Alameda County police with Oakland City administration and OPD, police cordoned off the Occupy Oakland encampment, arrested demonstrators at the interfaith tent, and began dismantling and discarding the Occupy Oakland tents.

At 4:15 am, as roughly 300 people danced and chanted, a huge force of police from around the Bay area began moving into the Occupy Oakland camp  at 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland.  As protesters chanted "We are occupy, we are not gonna die/every time you kick us out, we are gonna multiply,"  police from San Mateo, Burlingame, Oakland, Alameda, South San Francisco, Fremont, Richmond and San eandro and other areas massed on the plaza, cordoning off a perimeter and preparing to enfoce the Notice to Vacate issued lt night. Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern was the architect of the plan to bring in area police for mutual aid during the enforcement, in partnership with Oakland City Administrator Deanna Santana and Acting Police Chief Howard Jordan.

The City of Oakland has told staffers to delay arrival at work until 10 am, suggesting loca businesses might wish to do the same.

At the encampment, participants in the Interfaith tent sit surrounded by candles, while on the Plaza, more than 100 people dance and chant to the beat of a hooded drummer. The tents re left behind, but the sleepers have awakened--and moved on.

 

 

 

About Susan Mernit

Susan Mernit is the founder of Oakland Local. She is also a circuit rider for The Community Information Challenge, a program of The John S and James L Knight Foundation, and a consultant to non-profit and community organizations. Susan lives in North Oakland, near the Santa Fe school, with her partner, her housemate, a rescue dog named Cazzie, and a yard full of ants. She is an aspiring gardener, a long-time blogger & entrepreneur, and a recovering journalist who's found home in Oakland.