More than 400 Occupy Oakland demonstrators were taken into custody this weekend in one of the largest mass arrests since the Occupy Wall Street movement began last fall. On Saturday, police officers dressed in riot gear fired tear gas, smoke grenades, and bean bags at protesters as they attempted to occupy the abandoned Henry Kaiser Convention Center in downtown Oakland. Three members of the Oakland police force and at least one protester were reportedly injured during the exchange.
The Occupy Wall Street movement began in New York City last fall in an effort to showcase the vast wealth divide currently in existence in the United States. The movement quickly spread to several cities across the nation. Despite that many of the largely peaceful Occupy protests lost momentum after demonstrator encampments were forcibly emptied by local police, Occupy Oakland has seen increased activity and violence.
More than 1,000 Occupy Oakland demonstrators assembled outside of City Hall Saturday afternoon before marching through the streets to the vacant convention center. Oakland police allege a dispersal order was issued before officers took action against demonstrators who purportedly forced their way into City Hall, removed fencing, and burned American flags taken from the building. Demonstrators allege the day began as a calm act of civil disobedience which escalated only after police began using force on protesters.
Occupy Oakland protesters have accused the Oakland police Department of using unnecessarily heavy-handed tactics and overreacting to largely peaceful demonstrations. City officials claims "extremists" are using the city as a playground to advance the Occupy movement. The police department has stated officers responded with force on Saturday only after being attacked with a variety of items including bottles, metal pipes, rocks, and burning flares.
Oakland was not the only city to witness Occupy tensions this weekend. Police also allegedly clashed with protesters in Brooklyn on Saturday evening. Four demonstrators were charged with inciting a riot and other crimes. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C. the National Park Service has threatened to remove protesters from two parks in which they have been camped out since October before the month of January ends.
When your rights are violated by police, you need an experienced attorney to assist you in navigating the complaint process. If you feel you were a victim of police or other official misconduct, contact Los Angeles police brutality attorney Okorie Okorocha today. Our police violence attorneys are available to answer your questions and assist you in filing a complaint against the officers who hurt you.
Contact Okorie Okorocha, a Los Angeles board-certified criminal trial lawyer, if you feel your rights have been violated due to police misconduct. To schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your case, contact him today through his website or call him at (310) 871-3217.
More Blog Posts:
UC Riverside Police Use Batons, Fire Plastic Pellets at Student Protestors, Los Angeles Police Brutality Lawyer Blog, January 20, 2012
Federal Jury Finds Fresno Police Sgt. Used Excessive Force in Shooting Death of Unarmed Man, Los Angeles Police Brutality Lawyer Blog, December 27, 2011
Additional Resources:
Arrests in Oakland protests rise to more than 400, by Emmett Berg, Reuters
300 arrested in daylong Occupy Oakland protests, by Terry Collins, The Associated Press
Photo Credit:
Brian Sims, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License
