Friday, October 28, 2011

Oakland Protesters Re-Occupy Plaza Move followed a vigil for Iraq War veteran injured during clash between activists and police. #p2 #tcot

UPDATE: They're back.

Despite city orders to vacate, over two dozen tents have popped up at the Occupy Oakland plaza after more than 100 were arrested in Oakland on Tuesday.

The tents started to go up late Thursday night, after an earlier vigil for Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen, who was injured during Tuesday's clash between police and protesters, CBS News reports.

Shake Anderson, an Occupy Oakland organizer, told the news network that "We believe in what we're doing ... no one is afraid. If anything, we're going to show there's strength in numbers."

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan had asked protesters not to camp overnight in the plaza. But in a statement released Thursday night, she said she was "deeply saddened" by Tuesday's dismantling of the camp, referring to the use of force by police. She added, "Ultimately it was my responsibility, and I apologize for what happened." According to the statement, city officials will investigate Tuesday's events.  

UPDATE Wed., Oct. 26: Fed up with Occupy Wall Street-style encampments, police in cities around the country are increasingly cracking down on protesters who refuse to vacate public spaces.

More than 100 were arrested in Oakland on Tuesday, and 53, including a state senator, were rounded up in Atlanta. Those raids, along with others in smaller cities across the country this week, have brought the total number arrested in Occupy protests nationwide to between 1,500 and 2,000, the Los Angeles Times reports. About half of those arrests have been in New York, while the other half have been spread far and wide.

Many of the arrests have come in cities that had earlier said they would tolerate the protests, the LAT notes. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed had issued an executive order allowing the demonstrators to stay in Robert W. Woodruff Park, but he revoked it this week amid what he said were escalating security concerns.


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