Occupy Oakland: Crowd returns, mayor's key staff resigns as lawsuits are filed

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Oakland Police at Occupy Oakland/Reuters photo

OAKLAND, Calif. -- After a dawn raid by police that cleared Occupy Oakland on Monday, Nov. 14, people once again flooded Oscar Grant Plaza on Monday night. Two of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan's staff resigned Monday, the Deputy Mayor and her legal adviser, in the wake of another police assault on Occupy Oakland and the filing of lawsuits against Oakland Police.

The resignations came the same day that the ACLU and National Lawyers' Guild filed a lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department, naming a videographer shot with a bean bag projectile and others. The lawsuit describes the firing of flash bang grenades and tear gas at peaceful protesters on Oct. 25 (the night veteran Scott Olsen was shot) and Nov. 2-3 (the night of the General Strike when a second veteran was beaten by police.) The lawsuit requests a restraining order against the Oakland Police Department.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Cornu resigned late Monday, effective immediately. Quan's legal adviser Dan Siegel, a civil rights attorney, said in a 2 a.m. message on Twitter that he had resigned on Monday. Siegel called Monday's police raid "unnecessary" and spoke out in support of Occupy Oakland.

Occupy Denver Monday night

A second lawsuit was filed over Oakland police covering up their name tags with tape. The City of Oakland violated a federal consent decree to reform the Police Department when Officer John Hargraves covered his name tag with black tape, an attorney said. The incident was caught on video. (Click for article.) Watch black tape video.

Meanwhile, in Denver, where occupiers have been repeatedly beaten by Denver police, hot soup waited for occupiers in the cold.

Around the world, people were horrified to see photos of police at Occupy Chapel Hill, N.C., on a rampage with assault rifles.

Police on rampage at Occupy Chapel Hill, NC on Sunday

Denver Police Deny Medics Access to Unconscious Patient

Photo CBS Denver Nov. 12, 2011

Denver Police Dept. Denies Medics Access to Unconscious, Unresponsive Patient

Press Release

For Immediate Release

November 13, 2011

Contact: Colorado Street Medics, coloradostreetmedics@gmail.com 303-570-9362

November 12, 2011: After riot police stormed Civic Center Park and chased protesters to other locations, one demonstrator was observed being struck by officers and falling motionless on the traffic median dividing Colfax at Broadway.

Colorado Street Medics immediately attempted to access this patient to assess and provide first aid. SWAT officers refused to allow the medics access to this patient. The officer commanding the line refused to acknowledge medics when they attempted to explain concerns for the unconscious, unresponsive patient.

Police allowed an untrained bystander access to the patient, but refused to allow medics from Colorado Street Medics to access the patient. Officers threatened Colorado Street Medic volunteers with arrest if they attempted to approach the patient. When asked for their name and badge number, the officers refused to provide this information stating, “We don’t have to. That is not the law.”

Colorado Street Medic volunteers attempted to explain concern for serious bodily injuries as the patient lay on the traffic median unconscious and non-reactive to heavy traffic, bystanders and sirens around them. When SWAT officers pushed the medics away, Denver Paramedics had not yet arrived to treat the patient.

Colorado Street Medics are a volunteer first aid and community health organization that serves social movements. They have worked in the City of Denver and have had successful arrangements with Denver Paramedics, Denver Police Department and other state agencies in past events such as the Democratic National Convention in 2008 that improved patient care, handoffs and outcomes.

Across the board, research indicates that immediate intervention greatly improves patient outcomes and reduces mortality. Street Medics could have provided support for this individual’s airway, breathing and immobilizing his spine among other things while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

Colorado Street Medics condemn this blatant disregard for the wellbeing of an individual with potentially life-threatening injuries. Furthermore, Colorado Street Medics demand that officers be held accountable for both their excessive force and disregard to policy requiring them to provide identifying information to the public.

US Police Brutalize Occupiers across the Nation

Police brutalized peaceful protesters in the Occupy movment on Saturday and Sunday, from North Carolina to Denver

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Photo Charlotte Observer
Police attack Chapel Hill, NC, with assault rifles

Police brutalized Occupy Denver protesters in Denver on Saturday and attacked Occupy Chapel Hill, N.C., protesters on Sunday with assault rifles. In Oakland on Sunday night, occupiers waited under the threat of a predawn raid on the site that has been repeatedly the site of police violence.

The good news came from Scott Olsen recovering from a skull fracture when he was struck by a police projectile at Occupy Oakland. "Update from Scott Olsen, who suffered a skull fracture at Occupy Oakland: "I'm feeling a lot better, with a long road in front of me. After my freedom of speech was quite literally taken from me, my speech is coming back but I've got a lot of work to do with rehab. Thank you for all your support, it has meant the world to me. You'll be hearing more from me in the near future and soon enough we'll see you in our streets!"

Occupy Denver released a statement about the attack by police on Saturday, Nov. 12.
"Once again, the DPD reaffirms its position as the most violent police force in the United States. Officers assaulted demonstrators who were just standing on the sidelines. An officer waited until a protester turned around and hit him in the back three times. They assaulted people verbally, including threats to “break the teeth” of protesters. One officer told another officer to “SHOOT EM!! SHOOT EM NOW!” One protester was struck by an officer on a motorcycle and was hospitalized. Protesters were kettled and shot with pepper-balls, according to Colorado Street Medics, who found pepper-ball shells at the scene of last night’s incident. The shooting took place at 14th and Speer, eventually forcing the group to move to 16th St. Mall, where diners and theater-goers were present. "
http://occupydenver.org/occupy-denver-reponds-to-ongoing-police-brutality-state-oppression-against-all-occupies/

From Portland, a friend responds about a peaceful protester injured by police. "Hospital won't comment on Justin James Bridges condition, but I talked to him directly moments ago. He said he got caught between crowd and garbage can, ended up on the ground, they pulled his arms around, put a knee in his back, thus aggravating his back which was already broken before meeting up with police. Then he couldn't get his feet under him so they dragged him. He asked for help but they ignored him, refused to loosen his hands. He did nothing but tell the officers that he loved them from the bottom of his heart, but that he was disgusted at them and ashamed of them. He might get out of the hospital tomorrow, though right now he still can't stand up under his own power.

While assaults were carried out across the nation on peaceful protesters, the mainstream media, including CNN, Reuters and CBS, produced coverage that sounded like police press statements and failed to provide coverage on the brutal police assaults on peaceful protesters.

San Diego: Police Choking Arrest

VIDEO Above: Bob O'Grady being arrested in the San Diego Civic Center Plaza for laying inside of his sleeping bag to stay warm while a group of non-violent occupiers from San Diego, Los Angeles, Irvine, Encinitas, and other transplants from various locations across the US pow-wow under an erected U.S. flag in the heart of the plaza; in celebration of Veteran's Day. SDPD uses excessive force to apprehend Bob, a SDPD officer uses a choking technique I never knew was legal in the continuum of force ladder. That must come after using a closed fist to assault the suspect in the face.
Portland Video Sunday:




Finally, an Hawaiin singer made his mark by singing an "Occupy" song unscheduled at an Obama dinner. "I was pretty nervous. In fact I was terrified," Makana, 33 said. Read more: 
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/13/hawaiian-singer-surprises-obama-summit-with-occupy-song'
Occupy Chapel Hill coverage in Charlotte Observer: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/13/2772641/activists-take-over-vacant-franklin.html

Screen captures from today at Occupy Portland livestreams:

Woman faces off with riot police in Portland



Portland removes tents with heavy machinery

A lighter moment in Portland before the police standoff

On Wednesday, Alameda Sheriff officers beat UC-Berkeley students. Young women were repeatedly jabbed in their stomachs with police nightsticks, as shown in this video:

Berkeley City Council will vote to honor Geronimo

Berkeley City Council will vote to honor Geronimo

By Berkeley City Council

Censored News

BERKELEY, Calif. -- (Nov 9, 2011) The Berkeley City Council will vote on a revised resolution from the City’s Peace and Justice Commission to honor the life and memory of the Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo at its regular meeting on November 15, 2011.

The resolution quotes verbatim H. Res. 132 [111th]: Honoring the life and memory of the Chiricahua Apache leader Goyathlay or Goyaale, also known as Geronimo; of February 23, 2009.

In addition to acknowledging the heroic life of Geronimo, the resolution condemns the misuse of the name “Geronimo” by the United States federal government for military purposes, and recalls that Native American tribal governments requested a formal apology for the use the name Geronimo in reference to the assassination of Osama Bin Laden from President Obama earlier this year.

The resolution refers to Geronimo’s autobiography as an historic document appropriate for history curricula in U.S. schools.

The Council first considered the resolution at its October 25 meeting but held it off to the November 15 agenda so that a committee of Councilmembers including Linda Maio, Jesse Arreguin, and Kriss Worthington can refine the “resolved” section. At the October 25 meeting, the Council passed a separate resolution to End Racial or Ethnic Stereotypes in Team Names, Mascots and other Public Titles.

Original Resolution:

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Clerk/Level_3_-_City_Council/2011/10Oct/2011-10-25_Item_13_Honor_the_Life_and_Memory_of_the_Chiricahua.pdf

Related Article:

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/10/17/berkeley-peace-justice-commission-to-obama-apologize/

 Contacts:

Wendy Kenin 510-504-4937 greendoula@gmail.com

Kriss Worthington 510-981-7170