Police Raid Occupy Oakland, Push Me To The Ground
Today is a sad day in the city I love, Oakland. This morning at 2:45 AM I received a text message that a raid was imminent at the Occupy Oakland camp at Frank Ogawa Plaza. I had promised myself I would go any hour of the day. I believe in the importance of this story, I believe in the value of the independent press to document what goes on.
For a long time, it seemed like nothing was going to happen. Apparently 10 to 20 police cars had driven by at one point. Various reports had them parked in various locations. None of us reporter people could find them, and neither could the Occupiers.
Just when I was going to go home, there were reports of a large gathering of police on the other end of Oakland, and that they would arrive soon. So sometime after 4, they did. And did. I was dumbfounded by the large number of police that arrived. I wanted to cry at the sight of it. This simply did not warrant the numbers I saw.
As I looked at the line up, I saw anger and force in the faces of the officers. Earlier I'd spoken to another independent media guy, and he told me of getting close to the officers in SF and filming their helmet numbers. I couldn't help myself, I wanted to capture that terrible look I saw.
About ¾ of the way down, officer # 570, who is pictured in the top picture, the big tall one, started yelling at me to stand back. I paused for a bit, I wanted to see who he was. Next thing I knew, he rammed into me, pushing me on the ground. Watching my video, which doesn't capture the scope of the situation, or the amount of police, and it doesn't capture the anger, the meanness in this mans face.
More after the video:
Not wanting to be assaulted anymore, I retreated. I found a commanding officer and told him what had happened. He went to get an officer to help me file a complaint. As I stood there, I noticed all the mainstream media trucks packing it in. I asked another officer if it was OK if I was there. She showed me where media was allowed to stand, so I joined a small group of independent media like myself.
Next thing I knew, we were tear-gassed. That explains why the TV trucks left, and explains why they grouped us together.
Guess what folks? Tear gas fucking sucks. It hurts, it stings, it is nothing you want to experience. Of course, this made all of us alternative press folks run away from the tear gas. After that, the police refused to let any of us go back into the camp. Maybe if you had a press badge, but we know what happened to most of those people.
So tonight, the citizens right to peacefully assemble was halted. The media was tear gassed, and then not allowed to cover the story.
Eventually, the remaining Occupiers assembled a few blocks away. I learned that about 50 to 60 Occupiers had been arrested. All reports say that they were peaceful. In fact, I'm about the only person I can verify being assaulted.
This was apparently more then just Oakland, it was a unit comprised of several cites. I only noticed an officer from Fremont. Some think this implies the order came from farther up then Oakland. I left while things were still going on. Apparently the police had ripped all the tents up and thrown them into the street at one point. I wish I could tell you more.
I wish I could have taken more pictures, but when I fell, my camera broke. As I write this, I'm shaking, and a bit sick to my stomach. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so close to the officers. But shouldn't the police be erring on the side of caution, rather than being revved up and ready for trouble?
I've spoken to many of the Occupy community, in Oakland as well as SF and Walnut Creek. An overwhelming amount of them are fine, well spoken citizens, concerned that this country, this world is sharply headed in a very wrong direction. Sadly, tonight proved their point.
As I finish this, there are tears in my eyes, a scar on my heart and my soul. The hope I still have is the Occupiers I've met along the way. Yes, as I was leaving, there were a few of them throwing trash cans around. I think by that point, they had a right to be mad. I know I am, and I was just there as alternative press, trying to stay objective, even though the movement has been steadily winning me over. As I walked away and got into my car, I left as a full fledged Occupier.
I should have more video footage later. This is about all I'm capable of the moment. The picture below is from the march this past Saturday.
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Going to watch the video now
HUGGGGGG
The same treatment that every urban American expects when they interact with public servants - on any public road. You havent lived until you have been kicked, beaten, and handcuffed by your own government !
Snowden- It felt like fascism to me.
Cathy- Thanks for the comment.
C Berg- I am appalled and saddened.
Rugrat/Steve- It is a dark day for Oakland indeed.
profkeck- thank you for saying fellow citizens. The Occupiers are there for everyone.
Erika- Thanks for your kind words.
Everyone- Thanks for the support. I still can't sleep, I'm sad, shaking and wired all at the same time.
I have shied away from protests of various types, because of the fear of getting caught up in the crowd and stampede effect. My sweetie went to photograph a neo-nazi march in Phoenix last year, and came home with tear gas on him. He was just a citizen, watching from the side, taking photos. He wasn't protesting or confronting, just a witness. It took days to get if off of his skin, clothes, watch.
Be safe. Wear a helmet next time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6xrMZwnS-o
Worth watching... subscribe if you like it.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrParkerEast
rated
I am almost crying as I type this. I grew up believing in the homilies:
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
To Protect and to Serve
Unalienable Rights
Just Cause
Today (and for the past 20 years or so) those illusions of how things are said to be (when you're taught that in school from the earliest ages) are clearly taken down. To be disullusioned in this fashion is a gift, in all point of fact. You no longer have the luxury of sitting back and saying, "Oh come on, it can't be *that* bad, this is America."
I am sad, angry, frustrated and also energized, charged and obligated to do what I can to help the #OWS Actions where and when I can. I am out in the sticks without reliable transportation in Texas. Right now, all I have that I can lend to aid this movement is my voice.
And it is raised to 11 right now.
Really sorry you had to experience the tear gas and unprovoked assault. There's gotta be a way to sue for your illegal treatment, Kevin. I am sure that there's at least one attorney out there in the SF Bay Area who'd be willing to step up and assist you either pro-bono or on a contingency.
Our world, our nation, our government has to change and we are the People who have to force it to do so.
-r-
Another rule vocational journalists follow rigorously is they don't make the news, they report it. There are exceptions to this, of course, but from what you've told us here this was not one of them.
You were asked to stand back…and you didn’t do it.
Next time—do it! The policeman was part of a group handling a volatile situation and had the right, perhaps even the duty to ask you to stand back. You didn’t!
From what I saw…it was not badge 570 who initiated the forceful reaction. He was in front of your camera when you were saying “peace” instead of moving back like you were supposed to be doing.
The cops are not the enemy. They are as much a part of the 99% as you are or I am.
Frankly, I think this piece shows much more about how the police can be demonized inappropriately than it does about police brutality toward you.
You were asked to stand back…and you didn’t do it!
The thing that bothers me the most is when there is something of dire straits happening in some neighbourhood the OP are stretched to the max and it takes time to show up. NOT their fault. IN this case it should have been handled differently. Violence NO matter what is not the answer.
I am sure they did not want to do their jobs either.
Kevin can correct me if I am wrong.
Mr Paust- If you would read what I wrote instead of skimming, and watch the video, then maybe you could be informed enough to respond. I was not out to make news. The police were in riot gear, threatening the Occupiers. I wanted to document what was going on. I don't make any claim of being a seasoned reporter. I've been doing things like this for about a month. If being a seasoned reporter is leaving when the police move in so the press can't cover what's going on, then I'm proud to be an ignorant amateur.
Mr Apisa- The cops looked the opposite of scared. Do any of them look scared in the photos or the video? How much time transpires on the video from when I was told to stand back and when I was pushed to the ground? I've admited maybe I got a bit close, but hey, I am not a threatening guy. Tall, but not anyone to get really worried about. I'm not out to demonize police. But if the police act in a way that I believe is shameful to the city I live in, I will not support them in that action.
And that wasn't me saying peace, it was one of the occupiers saying that to the police.
But you were told to stand back...and you did not. Honestly, it looked to me as if you were closing the gap between you and the cops...but that may up for discussion. BUT YOU WERE NOT MOVING BACKWARDS...as you should have been.
As for the look on the cop's faces...yeah, I see scared. I see frightened...every bit as much as I see hatred. Often they are the same thing...in fact I often argue that people who show hatred are actually showing fear. Under any circumstances, they certainly do not look “the opposite of scared.”
The cops are not the enemy. They are as much a part of the 99% as we are. (Actually, I do not know about you…you are essentially a stranger. But I am a part of the lower end of the 99%…very, very much a part of the have nots!)
If you or some of these other people want to see “hate” in their eyes…fine. Do so. A decent argument could be made that a cop having to deal with what they were about to deal with…can feel lots of hate. You should have done your part. You should have followed instructions.
Allow me to admire your courage…but it was misplaced in this encounter.
Bottom line, the police told you to move back and you disobeyed. You had no justification, journalistically or otherwise, to ignore a lawful police order.
http://open.salon.com/blog/binarimon/2011/10/25/occupy_our_time
The occupation should be sutained, but how to do it when it is clear that the establishment will enforce a different agenda? Invariably without the visible crowd- the media will retreat and start to focus elsewhere. It has been their interest in covering it that has helped to surface a more meaningful national discussion.
thanks for posting this.
A few thoughts:
I'm not trying to demonize police. I'm just reporting an incident. I'm glad to see Joan H's post next to mine on OS. It's a beautiful post, and balances this out well.
There may or may not be Occupy assemblies that block peoples way and make things difficult for people. This has not been my experience with the Oakland camp. I've found it a peaceful camp, and there has been a clear path all around it for people to walk, and I've been welcome to walk through the camp as well.
I just received the following text message:
Jails are reporting 10K bail and holding arrestees til Thur arraignment.
My eyes still sting just a little.
Failing to obey the police in a line, well away from the protestors (you see, I was watching the live stream and I know that where Kevin was, was not that close to the protest area. It was at least a block and a half away from what I could tell. This was prior to the march on the Occupy area.
So, if a police officer tells you, "Go back inside and quit filming me, I don't feel safe," and you stay outside, in your yard, on your property, then you're saying the officer then has the right to do something about it?
I don't think so. Being told to step back is probably a reasonable request and I know I would have complied. If I had not, however, short of me actually physically accosting the officer provides said officer (or any of his friends on the force) to play Johnny Linebacker and knock my ass to the ground.
If you disagree with that, then there's clearly a divide between what you consider acceptable lawful behavior on the part of the police from what I believe.
I do agree, though, watching the video, being told to step back would have been your cue to do exactly that, Kevin. That said, there still is not lawful reason or justification for the officer knocking you down. This is an unprovoked attack.
If anyone other than an officer of the law said, "Step back," and we didn't, the person showing us how powerful they are by knocking us down would be laible for aggravated assault.
In a country where no laws should exempt anyone from obeying them -- or being held accountable to them -- the police have no more right to do this than Joe Q. Public. It's really that simple.
No amount of equivocation makes what the officer did acceptable behavior from a law enforcement officer.
Good coverage!
Rated, and congrats on a well earned EP!
--sinclair louis
"One withstands the invasion of armies; one does not withstand the invasion of ideas."
--victor hugo
occupy party reaches critical mass/seismic effect--now what?
thirty minutes of filming and narrating
that is the what will turn the tide
most respectfully,
The sad thing is that I've been waiting for these kinds of things to start happening since the Occupy movement started spreading. I think we'll be seeing more of the same elsewhere ... but each fight moves in stages.
Within the past several hours, occupiers had a meeting and a march. I attended the meeting, my health kept me from marching. As they walked away, I saw police officers following them and surrounding them. I had a bad feeling about what was to come. Though I had been told by police officers that the Occupiers would be able to assemble peacefully until 10, I learned they were refused re-entry to Frank Ogawa Plaza, which is where they had been camped, were met with police in riot gear, and unlawful assembly was declared. I went back to the fringes later to ask a few people questions. To my surprise, the marchers were passing right by where I was, going to Snow Park, which had been their secondary camp.
Of course, what I've heard on the local news and what people told me didn't match up. The news made it sound like there were a lot of people clashing and being arrested (at least 3 they kept saying). The Occupiers I spoke with said it was a few people who were causing trouble and were arrested. I have no way of verifying either slant, I'm sure I don't know the whole story.
*****
I just checked on the news, and the protesters had moved again, to 14th and Broadway. The police teargassed them again, this time getting the local reporters of the fox affiliate KTVU. Apparently things had been peaceful until that happened. The news anchor called it a powder keg.
I do have the sinking feeling that this will be a bad night, topping off an already bad day for Oakland.
I hope I'm wrong.
get out there
live shit means nothing on OS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZLyUK0t0vQ
Peaceful protests are just that. I don't think this is what you experienced and I'm certain there will be hundreds or thousands of arrests.
Violence begets violence.
They were there under orders to remove people who were breaking the law. They can gather if they have the proper permits and such. I think the city show restraint letting them stay as long as they did.
BTW, the next time you are given a lawful order by a cop, agree with it or not, I would suggest you do it then file a complaint about the order.
Dunniteowl- thanks for a thoughtful comment with a good perspective.
Belinda- To be very clear, my incident with the police officer happened at the beginning, and I'm pretty sure it was the first violent act of the morning. The teargas was shortly after. These were not tired police.
Catnlion- The reason I feel compelled to report is that the mainstream news media hasn't been in sync with what I've seen and experienced with this movement. I didn't see anything get thrown, but I was denied access to the area where claims have been made that that happened.
Myriad- I've been to several events that were peaceful and inspiring and seen little to no media coverage of them. It is sad that it takes teargas and flash grenades to bring attention to this.
I'm happy that I blog on a site that has been giving fair exposure to this issue, and representing many points of view, and many diverse stories of this.
When I saw pictures of the injuries on the news, my heart was broken again.
Those of you I already know through here and those I'm meeting for the first time, who have left kind and supportive comments, thank you so much.
This story continues. Frank Ogawa Plaza is being cleared out, and the Occupiers are planning on assembling near there at 6 tonight.
voting for people is second best, but if your state doesn't have citizen initiative, you have to settle on a candidate who will work for the issues you think important.
the federal system has no citizen initiative, which is why america is in this shape. from the beginning, it was run by the rich, for the rich.
This indicates clearly that the police are acting in their traditional role as the fist of the controlling wealthy elite. It is not a matter of good cops/bad cops. It is the standard official policy of suppression of the constitutional right for public protest for the corrupt and inadequate performance of government at all levels in favor of the wealthy elite. That is the open seed of fascism.
Clearly, from the various footage, the police fired the cannisters as an act to break up the march before they were being lobbed at by people with bottles. I now the system won't allow a hearing on the matter, after all, they're busy in this instance attempting to intimidate the people into believing that the 1st Amendment can be regulated, restricted and revoked.
Again, last I checked, that document claims these are unalienable rights. That means, simply put, not subject to government control. It's one of the methods in place that allow us to put controls on government.
Don't give in, don't give up and don't allow their intimidation, inclusive of physical use of force, to allow you to lose your cool and return violence with violence. If we could get a large enough legal group together to explore the ways the governments in question can be sued, reprimanded or have their claws removed, it would be in the best interests of the people all the way around in the long run.
Riot gear presumes a use of force. I watched Kevin's video. He was knocked down by being blindsided by the office in question. This is an unprovoked attack or assault on a citizen causing no harm and breaking no laws. Even if Kevin didn't obey the order, that does not allow the police carte blanche to knock him down at all. Attacking him from the side or slightly behind is simply the act of a shitty person, no matter that they have a uniform on or not. That was cowardly -- and in my view -- illegal use of physical force. I think, under the circumstances, it could be made to stick.
Hang in there Kevin, I support all the Occupy Protesters in the only way I can right now -- raising my voice in support. (all the ones that respect the non-violence concept of peaceful protest, that is.)
You are one of the People, too. You don't have to do this. Join us.
Check out this article about the testimony given a couple of weeks ago by an ex-NY cop, Stephen Anderson, about how supervisors and cops regularly approve/arrest innocent people and plant evidence in order to make their arrest quotas and earn overtime pay.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/ex-nypd-cop-we-planted-ev_n_1009754.html
New York cops' arrest of 700 OWS protesters on Brooklyn Bridge and hundreds of others fit this paradigm perfectly.
Leaflets citing this testimony and police practices like this should be passed around at the OWS protests in every city - including Oakland - to bring attention NOT ONLY to police anti-Constitutional conduct, but the Republican caused budget cutbacks and layoffs. THAT's put cops under even more pressure than ever to make arrest quotas and earn overtime pay (of course they'll deny, just like they denied it in NY). This kind of stuff rarely gets revealed because of how powerful the "blue wall of silence" is. A cop could get killed for revealing this, and Stephen Anderson has been under constant threat.
Protesters should talk about this, put it in leaflets - that the cops are victims of the 1% too. But rather than violate their oaths to make arrest quotas and overtime pay, they should stand with the 99%. Whenever protesters are about to be arrested, attacked or intimidated by the cops they should chant: USA...USA...USA... to remind the cops that the proesters stand for the country and what it stands for and that THE COPS should too.
Of course there's sociopaths and psychopaths on "the force" who are dangerous and can't be helped. Mobilizing peer pressure and publicity against them helps. The idea that I shared above, for example, helps put the protesters in a better light and the media will be exposed to the leaflets about cop practices and the USA chants etc., which will put the police under more scrutiny and not be portrayed as the "victims" and the "good guys" protecting us from the "communists, anarchists, and socialist violence."
Perhaps you can share this idea with folks there.
Cheers, Ron
Snugs.
Iraq war veteran Scott Olsen got his skull fractured in the Occupy Oakland movement.
Send a get well card to him here:
Scott Olsen, USMC
Highland Hospital
1411East 31st Street
Oakland, CA 94602
Awsome work, Kevin.
Ian- I spent 5 weeks in Highland this past year, Scott is in very good and capable hands. I hope his stay is as healing as mine was.
Thanks for posting the info.
Your post inspired me to write about tear gas.