Boing Boing » occupy oakland

A visual explainer of laws that govern police crowd control tactics at protests in Oakland, CA

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:08:55 +0000

At Oakland North, John C. Osborn has created a series of graphics that visually explain the policies of the Oakland Police Department and the California Penal Code that are supposed to guide how police and protesters interact.

Occupy Oakland takes over Port of Oakland: photos

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:25:59 +0000

Occupy Oakland demonstrators sit on top of a trailer truck outside the Port of Oakland during the Occupy movements' attempts to shut down West Coast ports in Oakland, California on Monday, December 12, 2011. OWS activists trying to shut down West Coast ports on Monday managed to close several terminals and encountered forceful responses from police, but fell short of mounting the full-scale cargo blockade they planned. Below, an Occupy Oakland demonstrator wears a tent and an "Anonymous" mask during the action. (REUTERS/Stephen Lam)

Iraq war veteran Kayvan Sabehgi beaten by police at Occupy Oakland, left with lacerated spleen

Xeni Jardin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:50:22 +0000

Video from The Guardian: "Protester and three-tour American veteran Kayvan Sabehgi was beaten by Oakland police during the Occupy protest's general strike on 2 November. Sabehgi, who was 'completely peaceful', according to witnesses, was left with a lacerated spleen."

Scott Olsen, Marine vet injured by police at Occupy Oakland, is released from hospital

Xeni Jardin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:42:57 +0000

Scott Olsen, the 24-year-old Marine veteran seriously injured by a police projectile during a violent raid on the peaceful Occupy Oakland encampment, was released from the hospital this week. Olsen received traumatic brain injury when a police officer (still un-named, from an unknown force, maybe Oakland police but maybe not) shot him with a so-called "less-lethal" round. Veterans For Peace volunteer Adele says:

I had a chance to visit Scott this evening. He is very present, alert, and has a lot of energy. He is still struggling with speech, but is attempting conversations without having the writing instrument out. He also is doing an amazing job of staying patient with himself and didn't seem to get frustrated with himself or need to rush when trying to work out thoughts in speech. Personally, it was a huge relief to see him after last having seen him while he was sedated and in critical condition.

Read the rest here, including updates on his legal support and housing needs. There's a related Reuters item here.

(Photograph: Keith Shannon)

Eviction notices served on Occupy Oakland campers, who then destroy every last one of them

Xeni Jardin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:29:38 +0000

"Every last one of the 200 eviction notices handed out earlier" were destroyed by angry Occupy Oakland protesters, according to Inside Bay Area. But don't worry, you can read the full text here.

Photographer shot by Oakland Police with "less-lethal" round, for no apparent reason

Xeni Jardin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:33:11 +0000

An Oakland Police Department officer shot blogger and videographer Scott Campbell with a projectile (a "bean bag" round or rubbber bullet, it's not clear which) while he was recording video during Occupy protests this weekend. Mr. Campbell was not threatening the officers or engaged in any violent activity that required this response. Is it legal for police to shoot photographers in a public place simply because they do not want to be photographed? [Video Link]

Creepiest anti-nonviolence leaflet ever handed out at an Occupy. Ever.

Xeni Jardin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:17:56 +0000

Someone very very creepy attempted to distribute these to a not-receptive audience of Occupy Oakland protesters yesterday: "YOU hold the cock of the Empire in your supple hands!"

Note the strategic use of Riot Kitten.

(via Susie Cagle, who's been live-cartooning Occupy Oakland.)

Occupy Oakland: photos before and after violent police raid

Xeni Jardin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:01:54 +0000

About the photos above and below, Mike Godwin says,

The "Before" photo, with Occupy Oakland tents in place, was taken October 21. Photographer Donna Enright, an Oakland resident, says she took the photo because she heard from her employer that Occupy Oakland had been served with a notice that the demonstrators were to be evicted.
"I thought this was the last chance I might have to take a picture of [the tents], she says.
The "After" photo was taken later in the day after the pre-sunrise October 25 police intervention at Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Mike Godwin's first-person account: "What Happened at Occupy Oakland"

Xeni Jardin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:57:26 +0000

"I knew I had to see what was happening for myself. Since there was a chance I would be arrested, or worse, I took off my watch and emptied my wallet of most of its cash—I carried only a single ID and a credit card (the latter in case I had to make bail)."—Mike Godwin at Reason Magazine

Police tactics in Occupy Oakland raid questioned

Xeni Jardin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:54:00 +0000

“My sense is the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing,” he said. “I don’t think there was adequate command and control.” The NYT Lede blog digs into what happened in Oakland Tuesday night. Also at the NYT, outrage grows over veteran Scott Olsen's injury by police.

Scott Olsen, Iraq veteran injured in police raid of Occupy Oakland: how you can help

Xeni Jardin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:05:52 +0000

Update, Oct. 27, 5pm Pacific: Olsen will undergo brain surgery "within the next one or two days."

In the photo above, Veterans For Peace member Scott Olsen, who is identified as a former U.S. Marine and Iraq war veteran, lies on the street after being struck in the head by a police projectile in Oakland, California, during eviction of the Occupy Oakland encampment.

The police attack occurred Tuesday night, and was captured in video blogged in previous Boing Boing posts.

How to help: Iraq Veterans Against The War has a link here and Veterans for Peace has a link here where you can donate to help cover Olsen's medical expenses.

At the time of this blog post, Olsen remains in a hospital in Oakland, CA, in "fair" condition, upgraded from "critical." He received skull fractures. Yesterday he was in a medically-induced coma, and he has undergone surgery. His roommate Keith Shannon reported to Current TV's Keith Olbermann today that Olsen can now breathe on his own, but will likely need more surgery.

UPDATE: The Guardian reports:

Scott Olsen requires surgery to relive the pressure on his brain, according to his roommate Keith Shannon. "Neurosurgeons have decided he needs surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain and it will happen in a day or two," Shannon said. He added that Olsen's parents should be arriving at the hospital to be with their son shortly.

The name and affiliation of the officer who threw a projectile at Olson and the protesters who were helping him has not yet been publicly reported.

Occupy Oakland: video shows police officer throwing "flash grenade" into crowd trying to help injured protester

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:34:07 +0000

[Video Link.] Video analysis by blogger Matt Kresling: "Footage from the Occupy Oakland protest, October 25th, 2011. After protesters ran to the aid of a badly-injured person, Oakland Police deliberately lobbed a flash grenade into the crowd. Whatever you think of the Occupy movement, police behavior of this kind is criminal and should be prosecuted."

The Guardian and the New York Times have related coverage.

I'm told that the protester injured in this video was Scott Olsen, a US military veteran in Veterans For Peace. Video which shows him after the attack is here. He is reported to be in intensive care, with serious head injuries.

Update: From Veterans For Peace:

Veteran For Peace member Scott Olsen, a Marine Corps veteran twice deployed to Iraq, is in hospital now in stable but serious condition with a fractured skull, struck by a police projectile fired into a crowd in downtown Oakland, California in the early morning hours of today.

It's important to note that police from many districts throughout the Bay Area and Northern California were involved, not just Oakland PD. But thanks, police at Occupy Oakland—whoever you are!—for finding a unique way to thank American combat veterans for their service to our country.

Oakland police: "Let slip the kittens of war"

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:32:02 +0000

Matthew Yglesias, observing Shani O. Hilton's twitpic of the Washington Post front page today: "It's amazing that Oakland PD managed to disperse the Occupy Oakland crowd solely by petting kittens." Says Shani, "Not teargassing a soul!" She writes more about it here.