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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Oakland police, protesters clash both morning and night

Oakland Tribune

OAKLAND, Calif. – Twelve hours after an early morning raid that cleared out the Occupy Oakland encampment, at least 1,000 people took to the streets to continue a protest that began two weeks ago and has now drawn national attention for its size and scope.

The demonstrators clashed with hundreds of police all over downtown Oakland for more than four hours Tuesday night as they lapped around downtown streets. Police launched concussion grenades and wooden dowels into the crowd of protesters, hitting at least two people.

Back near Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, sparks from what appeared to be flash-bang grenades and tear gas canisters could be seen exploding over the scattering crowd. Protesters had been repeatedly warned by police to leave the intersection of 14th Street and Broadway or chemical agents would be deployed. The number of injuries and arrest were not immediately known.

Late Tuesday, the crowd had not dispersed and a tweet sent out at 8:08 p.m. by Occupy organizers gave locations where the group wanted people to congregate and urged recipients to “bring bottles.” After the morning raid, 105 people were in jail, the majority arrested before dawn Tuesday. Most were taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Many were held on $10,000 bail each, and Occupy Oakland organizers flooded Mayor Jean Quan and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office with demands the protesters be cited and released.

On Tuesday evening, the group wound its way from the main branch of the Oakland Public Library to the city’s jail and then to Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, which had been the epicenter of Occupy Oakland and the site of a tent city where roughly 300 people lived for two weeks.