5:03 PM: Police have arrested dozens of protesters who stormed a Bank of America branch in downtown San Francisco this afternoon and refused to leave, and dozens more are still inside the bank.
A protester who gave his name as “Blondie” said 30 people had been arrested as of 4:45 p.m. and about 60 remained in the branch at 50 California St., near Davis Street.
A sheriff’s bus had pulled up near the bank, and police were loading protesters in plastic handcuffs into the bus. The crowd outside cheered as they brought the protesters out one by one.
At about 2:15 p.m., at least 100 protesters rushed into the branch, taking it over. They stood inside chanting, “We are the 99 percent.”
At about 2:40 p.m., police ordered the protesters to disperse.
Police in riot gear scuffled with protesters, shoving them out of the way to access the building’s doorway. Some people had been trying to exit the bank and others were blocking the officers’ path as they tried to enter.
Many of the protesters left the bank, but dozens of them remained inside as of 3 p.m. and had erected a tent in the middle of the floor.
Some wore bandanas and some stood on desks. Shortly before 4 p.m., police began making arrests.
Police Chief Greg Suhr showed up at the scene this afternoon.
He said he had been on his way to his weekly meeting with the mayor and decided to stop by after he “heard there might have been some officers in trouble,” referring to the skirmish in the doorway.
The protesters were participating in the “ReFund Public Education March,” organized in part to protest the cancellation of the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco this week.
The meeting was canceled because of fears that violent protests would occur, according to the regents.
“The 1 percent on the Board of Regents cancelled their meeting because we demanded they do the people’s business,” read a statement posted on the Occupy SF website about the march.
“So now we’re going to where they do Wall Street’s business,” the statement read.
The site stated that there would be a noon gathering at Justin Herman Plaza and a 1 p.m. march on banks, followed by a 4 p.m. “People’s Assembly for Public Education” at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate Ave.
Around 1:30 p.m., the protesters sat down on Battery Street between Pacific Avenue and Broadway, blocking traffic.
Some protesters chanted, “Education must be free. No cuts, no peace.”
University of California at Berkeley graduate student Elise Youn said one of the aims of the march is to “make the connection” between the business interests of certain UC Regents and their work on the board.
The marchers were focusing on three regents today: Richard Blum, chair of Blum Capital Partners; George Marcus, who heads a national commercial real estate brokerage firm; and Monica Lozano, who is a Bank of America board member.
Marchers included a number of students and members of public-sector unions.
4:15 PM: Police have begun arresting protesters who stormed a Bank of America branch in downtown San Francisco this afternoon and refused to leave.
At about 2:15 p.m., at least 100 protesters rushed into the branch on California Street near Davis Street, taking it over. They stood inside the branch chanting, “We are the 99 percent.”
At about 2:40 p.m., police ordered the protesters to disperse.
Police in riot gear scuffled with protesters, shoving them out of the way to access the building’s doorway. Some people had been trying to exit the bank and others were blocking the officers’ path as they tried to enter.
Many of the protesters left the bank, but dozens of them remained inside as of 3 p.m. and had erected a tent in the middle of the floor.
Some wore bandanas and some stood on desks.
Shortly before 4 p.m., police began arresting the protesters who remained inside.
A sheriff’s bus had pulled up nearby, and police were loading protesters in plastic handcuffs into the bus. The crowd outside cheered as they brought the protesters out one by one.
Representatives of the National Lawyers Guild had protesters write down their names and contact information on sheets of paper before the arrests occurred.
The protesters were participating in the “ReFund Public Education March,” organized in part to protest the cancellation of the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco this week.
The meeting was cancelled because of fears that violent protests would occur, according to the regents.
“The 1 percent on the Board of Regents cancelled their meeting because we demanded they do the people’s business,” read a statement posted on the Occupy SF website about the march.
“So now we’re going to where they do Wall Street’s business,” the statement read.
The site states that there would be a noon gathering at Justin Herman Plaza and a 1 p.m. march on banks, followed by a 4 p.m. “People’s Assembly for Public Education” at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate Ave.
Around 1:30 p.m., the protesters sat down on Battery Street between Pacific Avenue and Broadway, blocking traffic.
Some protesters chanted, “Education must be free. No cuts, no peace.”
University of California at Berkeley graduate student Elise Youn said one of the aims of the march is to “make the connection” between the business interests of certain UC Regents and their work on the board.
The marchers were focusing on three regents today: Richard Blum, chair of Blum Capital Partners; George Marcus, who heads a national commercial real estate brokerage firm; and Monica Lozano, who is a Bank of America board member.
Marchers included a number of students and members of public-sector unions.
3:16 PM: Dozens of protesters have pitched a tent inside a Bank of America branch in downtown San Francisco this afternoon and are refusing to leave.
At about 2:15 p.m., at least 100 protesters rushed into the branch on California Street near Davis Street, taking it over. They stood inside the branch chanting, “We are the 99 percent.”
At about 2:40 p.m., police ordered the protesters, some of whom had been standing on desks in the bank, to disperse.
Police in riot gear scuffled with protesters, shoving them out of the way to access the building’s doorway. Some people had been trying to exit the bank and others were blocking the officers’ path as they tried to enter.
Many of the protesters left the bank, but about 30 of them remained inside as of 3 p.m. and had erected a tent in the middle of the floor.
Some wore bandanas and some were standing on desks.
Hundreds of other protesters were sitting in the middle of Davis Street, which is shut down.
Meanwhile, members of a 24-Hour Fitness across the street watched the activity from their treadmills.
As of 3 p.m., no arrests had been made. A large crowd had gathered in front of the bank where protesters marched this afternoon to call for more funding for public education.
The “ReFund Public Education March” was organized in part to protest the cancellation of the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco this week.
The meeting was cancelled because of fears that violent protests would occur, according to the regents.
“The 1 percent on the Board of Regents cancelled their meeting because we demanded they do the people’s business,” read a statement posted on the Occupy SF website about the march.
“So now we’re going to where they do Wall Street’s business,” the statement read.
The site states that there would be a noon gathering at Justin Herman Plaza and a 1 p.m. march on banks, followed by a 4 p.m. “People’s Assembly for Public Education” at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate Ave.
Around 1:30 p.m., the protesters sat down on Battery Street between Pacific Avenue and Broadway, blocking traffic.
Some protesters chanted, “Education must be free. No cuts, no peace.”
University of California at Berkeley graduate student Elise Youn said one of the aims of the march is to “make the connection” between the business interests of certain UC Regents and their work on the board.
The marchers were focusing on three regents: Richard Blum, chair of Blum Capital Partners; George Marcus, who heads a national commercial real estate brokerage firm; and Monica Lozano, who is a Bank of America board member.
Marchers included a number of students and members of public-sector unions.
3:02 PM: Police have ordered a large group of Occupy SF protesters who rushed into a Bank of America branch on California Street in San Francisco during a march this afternoon to disperse or face arrest.
At about 2:15 p.m., at least 100 protesters rushed into the branch on California Street near Davis Street, taking it over. They stood inside the branch chanting, “We are the 99 percent.”
At about 2:40 p.m., police ordered the protesters, some of whom had been standing on desks in the bank, to disperse.
Dozens of police officers stood outside the branch, and riot police arrived to secure the building.
Police scuffled with protesters, shoving them out of the way to access the building’s doorway. Some people had been trying to exit the bank and others were blocking the officers’ path as they tried to enter.
As of 2:50 p.m., no arrests had been made. A large crowd began to gather in front of the bank where protesters marched this afternoon to call for more funding for public education.
Davis Street between California and Sacramento streets was shut down.
Today’s “ReFund Public Education March” was organized in part to protest the cancellation of the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco this week.
The meeting was cancelled because of fears that violent protests would occur, according to the regents.
“The 1 percent on the Board of Regents cancelled their meeting because we demanded they do the people’s business,” read a statement posted on the Occupy SF website about the march.
“So now we’re going to where they do Wall Street’s business,” the statement read.
The site states that there would be a noon gathering at Justin Herman Plaza and a 1 p.m. march on banks, followed by a 4 p.m. “People’s Assembly for Public Education” at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate Ave.
Around 1:30 p.m., the protesters sat down on Battery Street between Pacific Avenue and Broadway, blocking traffic.
Some protesters chanted, “Education must be free. No cuts, no peace.”
University of California at Berkeley graduate student Elise Youn said one of the aims of the march is to “make the connection” between the business interests of certain UC Regents and their work on the board.
The marchers were focusing on three regents: Richard Blum, chair of Blum Capital Partners; George Marcus, who heads a national commercial real estate brokerage firm; and Monica Lozano, who is a Bank of America board member.
Marchers included a number of students and members of public-sector unions.
2:38 PM: Several hundred Occupy SF protesters are marching through downtown San Francisco this afternoon to call for more funding for public education.
At about 2:15 p.m., at least 100 protesters rushed into a Bank of America branch on California Street near Davis Street, taking it over. They stood inside the branch chanting, “We are the 99 percent.”
Today’s “ReFund Public Education March” was organized in part to protest the cancellation of the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco this week.
The meeting was canceled because of fears that violent protests would occur, according to the regents.
“The 1 percent on the Board of Regents cancelled their meeting because we demanded they do the people’s business,” read a statement posted on the Occupy SF website about the march.
“So now we’re going to where they do Wall Street’s business,” the statement read.
The site states that there would be a noon gathering at Justin Herman Plaza and a 1 p.m. march on banks, followed by a 4 p.m. “People’s Assembly for Public Education” at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate Ave.
Around 1:30 p.m., the protesters sat down on Battery Street between Pacific Avenue and Broadway, blocking traffic.
Some protesters chanted, “Education must be free. No cuts, no peace.”
University of California at Berkeley graduate student Elise Youn said one of the aims of the march is to “make the connection” between the business interests of certain UC Regents and their work on the board.
The marchers were focusing on three regents: Richard Blum, chair of Blum Capital Partners; George Marcus, who heads a national commercial real estate brokerage firm; and Monica Lozano, who is a Bank of America board member.
Marchers included a number of students and members of public-sector unions.
2:23 PM: Several hundred Occupy SF protesters are marching through downtown San Francisco this afternoon to protest cuts to public education.
The “ReFund Public Education March” was organized in part to protest the cancellation of the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco this week.
The meeting was canceled because of fears that violent protests would occur, according to the regents.
“The 1 percent on the Board of Regents cancelled their meeting because we demanded they do the people’s business,” read a statement posted on the Occupy SF website about the march.
“So now we’re going to where they do Wall Street’s business,” the statement read.
The site states that there would be a noon gathering at Justin Herman Plaza and a 1 p.m. march on banks, followed by a 4 p.m. “People’s Assembly for Public Education” at the State Building at 455 Golden Gate Ave.
Around 1:30 p.m., the protesters sat down on Battery Street between Pacific Avenue and Broadway, blocking traffic.
Some protesters chanted, “Education must be free. No cuts, no peace.”
Photos and text: Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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