Tree Sitter Remains In Frank Ogawa Plaza After #OccupyOakland Raid

11:38 AM: An early-morning police raid to break up the Occupy Oakland encampment has left Frank Ogawa Plaza devoid of protesters today–except for one lone holdout who is perched in a tree.

Zachary Running Wolf is sitting atop a small wooden platform, tied to the tree, and is being largely ignored by police for the time being.

Police Chief Howard Jordan said at a morning news conference that police are leaving him be as they look into what his legal rights are to be there.

This morning, he could be heard shouting from the tree, “This is native land. I’m not coming down.”

Running Wolf is a familiar name in the East Bay, where he has run for City Council in Berkeley and was involved in the lengthy tree-sit at the University of California at Berkeley several years ago to protest the removal of a grove of trees to make way for a new sports training center.

A protester on the ground nearby who identified himself as “Fireball” said Running Wolf represents the encampment’s “best defense” right now.

“The cops can’t get into the trees,” he said.

Fireball said Running Wolf has enough food and water to last several days.

Meanwhile, cleanup crews were quickly clearing the remnants of the encampment from the plaza. The last tents had been taken down as of 11 a.m.

Oakland police Sgt. Christopher Bolton said those doing the cleanup are trying to salvage anything that appears to be worth more than $100, and are throwing out other objects.

City Administrator Deanna Santana said this morning that the city hopes to have the plaza reopened for public use – camping excluded – by 6 p.m.

Thirty-two people were arrested when police raided the encampment early this morning, most for illegal lodging, Bolton said.

10:18 AM: Police have reopened streets around Frank Ogawa Plaza after early morning closures to make way for the raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment.

As cars began passing through the area again, a group of about 15 protesters blocked Broadway, linking arms and chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets.”

They impeded traffic for about 20 minutes until police threatened to arrest them around 10 a.m. and the group cleared out of the street.

Meanwhile, at the plaza, cleaning crews were disassembling the tents that remained standing.

9:45 AM: Thirty-two people were arrested this morning in what appears to have been a largely peaceful police sweep of Frank Ogawa Plaza to clear out the Occupy Oakland encampment that has stood outside City Hall for weeks.

At a morning news conference at the city’s Emergency Operations Center after the raid, Police Chief Howard Jordan said only nine of the people arrested are Oakland residents.

He said there were no injuries to police officers or protesters.

“I’m very proud of the way the officers acted today,” Jordan said.

Oakland police were assisted by officers from the San Leandro, San Francisco, Hayward and Fremont police departments, and sheriff’s deputies from Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, he said.

City Administrator Deanna Santana said Oakland is paying between $300,000 and $500,000 for today’s mutual aid.

Mid-morning, cleanup crews were going through the disassembled encampment and there were no protesters in the plaza, except for a man who has climbed a tree and refuses to come down, Jordan said.

Jordan said the city is looking into the man’s legal rights to be there before trying to remove him.

Meanwhile, city employees were being told not to come to work until 10 a.m., and residents are advised to avoid visiting City Hall today unless they have urgent business there.

Downtown merchants were being asked to consider delaying the start of their work days as well.

Mayor Jean Quan sounded hoarse as she spoke at the news conference, saying a number of protesters left the encampment voluntarily before police moved in.

“We met with multiple groups within the camp and asked them to leave,” Quan said.

“Many of them have, and I want to thank them for that.”

She asked people throughout the Bay Area to respect the city’s decision to shut down the encampment, and refrain from engaging in “destructive acts.”

After the camp was raided the first time on Oct. 25, protests downtown turned violent, resulting in injuries to both police and protesters, and downtown businesses were damaged.

In response to a reporter’s question, Quan also briefly discussed the departure of her unpaid legal adviser Dan Siegel, who resigned over Quan’s decision to raid the camp.

She said she and Siegel went to college together and sometimes disagree.

“He’s moving on, I’m moving on,” Quan said.

The mayor admitted to being tired today.

“As the mayor of Oakland, this has been a very difficult situation,” Quan said.

She said she believes the “Occupy” movement is morphing into a movement larger than just encampments, but that the protesters who were removed from Frank Ogawa Plaza today are trying to find private property to move onto.

In the meantime, some of the campers have relocated to Snow Park, near Lake Merritt.
Jordan said there is no plan to raid Snow Park today.

Santana said city officials hope to have Frank Ogawa Plaza cleared and available for public use, including demonstrations, by 6 p.m. She said, however, that camping will not be allowed.

Jordan said there will be a “strong police presence” at the plaza.

“We are going to be having a very strict no-lodging policy,” he said.

Police moved in on Frank Ogawa Plaza beginning at 4:30 a.m., and by 5 a.m. officers in riot gear had blocked streets surrounding the plaza.

Rumors had spread among Occupy Oakland protesters that a police raid was imminent this morning, and protesters gathered in the street at the corner of 14th Street and Broadway early this morning to wait for police action.

Protesters announced on the Occupy Oakland website that they plan to reconvene at the Oakland Public Library at 125 14th St. at 4 p.m.

Police plan to hold another media briefing at 1 p.m.

Zack Farmer, Bay City News

9:09 AM: BART has reopened its 12th Street Oakland City Center station this morning after an early morning closure prompted by the police raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment.

The station reopened at 8:30 a.m., although the exit at 14th Street and Broadway remained closed, according to BART.

6:51 AM: Police began withdrawing from Broadway at around 6:30 a.m. today, after blocking off Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza and arresting people remaining in the plaza.

Police are in the process of dismantling what remains of the Occupy Oakland camp that has occupied Frank Ogawa Plaza for most of the last month.

Police blocked off the plaza shortly before 6 a.m. today with lines of riot police. Most protesters had already moved into the street at 14th Street and Broadway before police arrived.

Protesters on Broadway chanted and played music as they watched police dismantling the tents.

“We’ve got the power, people power” protesters chanted as arrestees were led out of Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Some of those arrested were from the camp’s Interfaith Leaders tent, who held a vigil tonight waiting for police to arrive.

Dozens of Oakland police, assisted by Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies and several other local police agencies from as far away as Pacifica and Foster City moved into the area around Frank Ogawa Plaza this morning to enforce continuing violations in the plaza related to the encampment, according to city of Oakland officials.

Police moved in beginning at 4:30 a.m. and by 5 a.m. officers in riot gear had blocked streets surrounding the plaza.

Another protester climbed a tree in the plaza and has remained there for several hours.

It was not immediately clear if police arrested him when they blocked off the plaza.

The 12th Street BART station in Oakland remains closed this morning due to the police activity in the area, BART officials said.

Protesters announced on the Occupy Oakland website that if the camp is evicted they will reconvene at the Oakland Public Library at 125 14th St. at 4 p.m.

Occupy Oakland amassed at the same library on Oct. 25 after a raid earlier that morning forcibly evicted protesters from the camp.

Dozens were arrested as police tore down tents, dragged sleeping protesters out of the area, and reportedly used smoke grenades and tear gas to disperse campers.

Protesters had occupied the plaza in front of Oakland City Hall since Oct. 10.

After gathering at the library in the afternoon, protesters marched back to 14th Street and Broadway, just outside of the plaza, but were blocked from proceeding by barricades and dozens of riot police.

Police used smoke grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, who reconvened and returned to the corner repeatedly throughout the night.

After the raid drew international media attention and many criticized Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and interim police Chief Howard Jordan’s handling of the protests, police presence was minimal the following day and protesters were allowed to return to the plaza.

After staging a one-day “general strike” that peacefully shut down the Port of Oakland on Nov. 2, smaller protests that night again ended in confrontations with police involving tear gas.

Dozens of downtown Oakland businesses were vandalized during the clashes, and pressure began mounting for city officials to again remove the camp.

The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce issued several statements that said the ongoing encampment was harming downtown businesses, a claim which protesters disputed.

After 25-year-old Kayode Ola Foster was fatally shot near the camp on Thursday, Quan and police increased pressure for protesters to leave the plaza peacefully.

Police have issued several eviction notices over the last several days, demanding protesters immediately leave the area, but many protesters have remained camping in the plaza.

6:34 AM: Police have begun arresting people remaining in Frank Ogawa Plaza this morning, and are in the process of dismantling what remains of the Occupy Oakland camp that has occupied the space for most of the last month.

Police blocked off the plaza shortly before 6 a.m. today with lines of riot police. Most protesters had already moved into the street at 14th Street and Broadway before police arrived.

Protesters continue to play music and chant, and have not been ordered to disperse yet, according to live video accounts by protesters.

“We’ve got the power, people power” protesters chanted as arrestees were led out of Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Some of the arrestees were from the camp’s Interfaith Leaders tent, who held a vigil tonight waiting for police to arrive.

Dozens of Oakland police, assisted by Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies and several other local police agencies from as far away as Pacifica and Foster City moved into the area around Frank Ogawa Plaza this morning to enforce continuing violations in the plaza related to the Occupy Oakland encampment, according to city of Oakland officials.

Police moved in beginning at 4:30 a.m. and by 5 a.m. officers in riot gear had blocked streets surrounding the plaza.

Another protester climbed a tree in the plaza and has remained there for several hours.
The 12th Street BART station in Oakland will be closed this morning due to police activity in the area, BART officials said.