Two weeks into Occupy Wall Street protests, movement is at a crossroads

Police clear Occupy San Francisco in early morning raid
(Joshua Melvin, Mercury News, December 7, 2011)

Police arrested at least 70 Occupy San Francisco protesters during an early Wednesday morning surprise raid of the movement's last major camp in the Bay Area.

After weeks of false speculation more 100 San Francisco police and Sheriffs Deputies clad in riot gear moved in on the camp at Justin Herman Plaza around 1 a.m.

The raid did not include the police force and violent protester reaction that has been seen in other raids, such as the one at Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Of the arrests at least two stemmed from assaults on officers said police Chief Greg Suhr, who added that one officer was hit in the face shield with a metal chair. The officer was not seriously injured. There didn't appear to be any serious injuries among protesters either.

Protesters said they awoke to find police circling the camp and reported officers gave them about five minutes to pick up their belongings and get out. About 30 were arrested during the raid, another 30 or so were arrested while blocking Market Street after the police action. Another roughly 10 were taken into custody during a second blockage of market.

Suhr told reporters the raid came after talks broke down between the occupiers and the city about moving the camp to an abandoned school campus in the Mission District. Occupiers were divided about whether to accept the city's offer and ended up remaining at Justin Herman Plaza. Suhr also cited confrontations on Thursday between occupiers and officers.

Occupier Philip Oje contested Suhr's recounting of negotiations. Oje, who was one of the camp's liaisons with the city, said he has not heard from officials in a week. He supported moving the camp to the site between 15 and 16th streets and had been part of negotiations.

He said the city bears some responsibility for any breakdown in relations.

"The city messed up as well," he added.

In the hours after the raid groups of evicted protesters and cordons of riot police repeatedly confronted each other. There were moments of violence when officers pushed back crowds of occupiers and when protestors threw projectiles, such as a metal chair and garbage can, at police. But for the most part it was peaceful.

As police and protesters tangled, public works employees loaded tents, blankets and bicycles into flat bed trucks and garbage trucks. Protesters said they were told they'd be allowed to pick up their belongings later in the day. There no estimate immediately available on how much debris was carted away. The amount has been measured in tons, not pounds at defunct Occupy camps in Los Angeles and Oakland.

as if she had been pinned down with a spear.

Mayor Menino gives Occupy Boston protesters midnight deadline,
threatens ‘further action’

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino today gave Occupy Boston protesters a midnight deadline to
leave their Dewey Square encampment.

“If not, we’ll take further action,” he said.

Menino’s comments came after a Suffolk Superior Court judge on Wednesday declined to issue
a preliminary injunction protecting the protesters from eviction.

The Occupy Boston encampment is part of a series of protests nationwide that have been credited
with drawing attention to the issues of social and economic inequality. But similar encampments
have been evicted in other major cities.

Menino commented today before a news conference at Fenway Park about the Red Sox’ plans to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the stadium.

Menino also said city officials had met this morning to discuss what to do about the encampment.

In a statement issued Wednesday night after the judge’s ruling, Menino had strongly encouraged
the protesters to remove their tents and refrain from camping in the public square, where they have
been living since Sept. 30.

Menino said in the statement that conditions at the camp had deteriorated, posing health and safety
risks and that the city would “act appropriately to fulfill our duty to preserve the public’s peace and safety.”

An attorney for the protesters said Wednesday that they would appeal Judge Frances McIntyre’s
decision not to grant a preliminary injunction and to revoke a temporary restraining order that had
protected the protesters since mid-November.

McIntyre ruled that the protesters did not have a free speech right to “seize and hold” the land where
they have set up their tent city. She also said that the protesters must abide by regulations set up by
the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, which leases the property from the state. The regulations
prohibit overnight camping on the square.

Protesters sent out an emergency text message, asking supporters to gather tonight at the square.

“We’re calling for all of our supporters to join us tonight at Dewey Square. We hope they will come
to defend us and the rights of the 99 percent,” said Ariel Oshinsky, a volunteer with the protesters’
media working group.

Asked if protesters planned non-violent resistance, she said, “That is something that has been popular
with other Occupy movements and is potentially likely.”

She said protesters weren’t sure that the police would move tonight, noting that other cities have
given deadlines and then waited days before actually raiding the camps.

McIntyre ruled that the protesters did not have a free speech right to “seize and hold” the land where they have set up their tent city. She also said that the protesters must abide by regulations set up by the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, which leases the property from the state. The regulations prohibit overnight camping on the square.