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Tonight: Occupy Wall Street Will March To City Hall At 9PM In Solidarity With Injured Oakland Protesters
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 26, 2011
Modified Oct 26, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 26, 2011
Modified Oct 26, 2011
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Tonight at 9 p.m. the Occupy Wall Street movement is sponsoring a Solidarity March with the protesters in Oakland, California, from Zuccotti Park down to City Hall. Last night, police in Oakland fired tear gas, rubber bullets, flash-bangs and bean bag projectiles at OccupyOakland protesters at around 7:45 p.m. Despite authorities claiming [pdf] that there were no injuries to protesters, many photos and videos dispute that notion. According to the Guardian, 24-year-old protester Scott Olson is in critical condition with a fractured skull and brain swelling after being hit by a police projectile. Olson is a veteran of the Iraq War.
Below is a graphic video of Olson being carried away from the a chaotic scene last night. Olson is seen around the 0:40 mark.
This video appears to show Oakland PD officers tossing a flash-bang grenade next to Olson's injured body.
In their initial press release [pdf], the Oakland PD denied using non-lethal projectiles and weapons against the protesters, claiming, "the loud noises that were heard originated from M-80 explosives thrown at Police by protesters." A subsequent release [pdf] states
A large number of officers were assaulted, doused with hazardous materials, and hit with large rocks and bottles, which resulted in the declaration o an unlawful assembly and the order to disperse. To assist in the dispersal efforts, officers used less lethal force tactics.
Below is a video of Oakland PD officer saying he was merely following orders when he used non-lethal weapons.
One protester tells the San Jose Mercury News that police fired the tear gas "because of stupid people who were provoking the cops. It's random people who see a big group and are like, 'let's start a riot.' All it takes is one thing and it's like let's gas everyone."
Tagged
oakland CA
occupy oakland
occupy wall street
police brutality
protests
violence
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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