Police Sweep Through Making Arrests and Confiscating Personal Belongings and Donated Supplies – Organizers Call for 8 am Protest Today at the Plaza.
In the early hours of October 28, San Diego Police swept through both encampments of Occupy San Diego, making at least 44 arrests and confiscating all personal belongings and all supplies and food that has been donated.
Around 1:45 am officers started to sweep through Children’s Park without warning and made at least 8 arrests there. Simultaneously, over hundred police and sheriffs deputies swept through Civic Center Plaza, ordering everyone out. A confrontation then occurred at B Street and 3rd Avenue as the remaining occupiers faced off with lines of blue and brown shirts. Police and sheriffs all had batons and other riot gear.
At least two men who were arrested were punched and beaten by police during their arrests. Several of those arrested were US military veterans. One man arrested was a legal observer. Details of his arrest were not available at this time.
All the donated food and other medical supplies were confiscated by police at both sites. The fate of the nurses’ station at the Plaza is unknown but it is assumed that their supplies were also confiscated.
I called Assistant Police Chief Boyd Long at approximately 2 am and he told me that they were sweeping both sites as people had been ordered to clear the areas earlier. Actually, the occupiers at Children’s Park had been told by Long that as long as they did not erect tents, the encampment at the Park was okay.
A couple dozen occupiers at the Plaza sat down in the road on 3rd Avenue. Many of them were arrested when small groups of cops rushed them. Even though people yelled at the police, there was no violence on the part of the demonstrators, who were in their 21st day of occupation.
Demonstrators were clearly upset and angry. Several called out to the police that they were not being “American” and that American rights were being violated.
Remaining protesters were in disarray and a number moved through downtown San Diego in the dark. Others remained on the sidewalk at the Plaza.
Barricades arrived to be placed up at the Plaza. Police on the scene said that the Plaza was to be “power washed” and that demonstrators could return to the site but without any belongings.
Organizers who were still milling around outside the Plaza shared the word to return to the Plaza at 8:00 am to protest the early morning arrests made without warnings.
At about 4:45 am group of about 30 demonstrators were having an impromptu meeting at Broadway and Harbor to discuss their next move.
Coincidentally, there were plans for the San Diego Labor Council and the national nurses’ union to have a “sleepover” at the Plaza Friday night.
Video by Patty Jones
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
Wish I lived closer than Escondido. What happens to the confiscated stuff? Whats next?
No, it’s not a coincidence! When the organized sector of the working class puts bodies on the line then its time for the reactionaries to…well, react. How OWS/SD adapts to the changing situation will speak volumes to its character and shelf life.
– In Solidarity,
Danny 8-p
The LA Times has a story out on this, includes info from Frank and OB Rag:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/occupy-san-diego-arrests.html
Capitalism can not be reformed, classes contend, right now the so called 1% are on top, they will not give up their plunder without a fight, they own the police and military, they WILL use violence to keep power.
The 99% are not a homogeneous group, within that statistic are many who the 1% are giving a little more to for nice cars and jet skis and the like, good schools for their children, they will not give up their crumbs without a fight, they will use violence to keep their position above the majority of the 99%.
There are also doctors and lawyers, small and mid-sized business owners, land lords and others who receive more than working people, who are not a part of the 1%.
Capitalism will not be reformed, it must be taken down.
I wish more of the occupiers were as honest as you. Just say you want to bring down Capitalism and let the chips fall where they may. Assuming Socialism is your ultimate goal, is social upheaval and illegal activities the only way for it to come about? I’m asking because I really have no knowledge of the history of how socialism starts, I have only seen the results of it’s failures. And if a system of government must start so violently, how can that be a good thing?
Mary,
Are you saying the activities of the occupiers are illegal? From what I read and watch on TV, city governments aren’t saying that, except for a few, isolated incidents. Why do you think it’s violent? Also how do you know those isolated acts of violent aren’t committed by infiltrators paid by the 1%?
Mao Tzu,
You give socialism a bad taint. Lawyer and doctors can certainly be part of the 99% and can certainly be in favor of the Occupy movement. This one is. As long as it’s nonviolent.
I’m a Communist not a Socialist, that said you’re right about one thing, some doctors and lawyers play a positive role, however many are politically reactionary and believe that their interests lie with the upper classes.
My point is that 1% is a very small portion of the people of the world and that there are a good amount of people within the 99% left that make a lot more money than the majority of the people in the 99%. In a nut shell, I’m saying that 99% versus 1% is not a very good class analysis.
“In the United States, wealth is highly concentrated in a relatively few hands. As of 2007, the top 1% of households (the upper class) owned 34.6% of all privately held wealth, and the next 19% (the managerial, professional, and small business stratum) had 50.5%, which means that just 20% of the people owned a remarkable 85%, leaving only 15% of the wealth for the bottom 80% (wage and salary workers). In terms of financial wealth (total net worth minus the value of one’s home), the top 1% of households had an even greater share: 42.7%. Table 1 and Figure 1 present further details drawn from the careful work of economist Edward N. Wolff at New York University (2010).”
I just can’t help replying to another aspect of your post sorry to keep beating this dead horse. “Lawyer(s) and doctors can certainly be part of the 99% and can certainly be in favor of the Occupy movement. This one is. As long as it’s nonviolent.” So the way that sounds is that the “professional class “can choose to be a part of the working class as long as it conforms to their preconceived notions about how it should act. Who do these professionals support when the working class decides to do things that it finds it needs to do for it’s best interests in contradiction to these well paid people?
Love me I’m a liberal http://www.myspace.com/maotzu
Many of the occupiers do not think about all of this in a very systematic way, many others believe that Capitalism can be reformed. They are not dishonest, they just have different beliefs than mine.
All systems of government have started violently, they all end violently as well, I’m not saying that is a good thing, it’s just the way things have been. If the people in power would be willing to give up their power without a fight then it would be different. You must remember that when political/economic systems change, there are always two forces at play the people who want to change it and the people who want it to stay the same.
And just what are you going to replace capitalism with ?????
Take a look at my Avatar…
not an answer ??? no avatar ??? OB RAG ???
Think his name indicates he’s a Maoist.
I don’t know how Maoism would constitute progress, Mao caused the deaths of somewhere around 40 million people via purges and famines.
Oops, right no Avatar on this site, but yes as Christopher mentions below, I am a Communist. So I would replace the dictatorship of the capitalist class, by the dictatorship of the working class. Or another way to put it would be, democracy the rule of the majority, over the minority.
Mao, Mao…I would dare to say you never lived in a Communist country. I did, I was actually born and raised until 25 and i was a memeber of the communist party. You have no idea what you are talking about. This website would not exist in a communist country, the “Occupy San Diego” movement would not exist in a communist country. My brother and father were jailed by the communists for speaking against the system you’re are talking about. Our house was demolished by the communsit party and we got put in the streets with any kind of notice. Communism, the Bible and Santa Claus have one in common, they aer all nice stories to share with your kids at night…..God bless this country and what it stands for.
And one more thing…the last protest/revolution I went too in a Communist coutry (December 1989-you can google it and figure out which country i am talking about), we were shot at. Shot at with real guns and tanks and many of us didn’t make it to tell the story, but we somehow managed to stay together…..probably because 50 years of communism drove 23 million of us to desperation and convince us death is better than communism. Sorry Mao, nothing personal about you, just the fact you are standing up for a system that promoted so much violence and killed so many of us gets me going. Living there and see it every day left me with scars that will never heal.
There has never been a Communist country only Socialist countries which have been successful to one degree or another from one time to another.
I could say that in the United States (or maybe I should not say what country I’m from, and instead be coy and give you hints so that there can be no discussion of concrete conditions) I’ve been a member of the Democratic Party and therefore I know that there is no Democracy in the US. And then because you are not from here you do not know what you’re talking about.
Then we can say that no one knows anything that they have not personally experienced so no one knows anything that they can talk about with anyone that has different life experiences than they do. Hog wash.
well, mao — the fact that you are a commie — that’s why you do not like capitalism.
So that brings me to ask– why do you live here ????
why don’t you go live in a communist country ??
You are not going to change america.
We love our freedom — and just so we are clear– america is a republic – not a democracy — there is a big difference….
democracy is (simply put) mob rule and all thru history it has never worked — and a republic (simply put) represents the individual freedoms and LIBERTY to work and grow the economy for everyone. Therefore capitalism is the only way to go…. Name me a better country in the world….. “NONE” like america — because everyone has the right to live their own lives and work and prosper…. we have our problems right now because we have some people in power who believe like you but it will never work….. Americans will not let it.
Democracy is mob rule? Step away from the Hate Radio.
At any rate I live in America because I was born here, and I care what happens to all working people in America and around the world.
Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everyone else.
I agree with Cat , However Mao Your quote “I am a Communist. So I would replace the dictatorship of the capitalist class, by the dictatorship of the working class. Or another way to put it would be, democracy the rule of the majority, over the minority.” you mean suck off or live off the expense of everyone else , sounds like a uncle living in the guest house won’t look for work but bitch about, its everyone else’s fault the capitalist OMG…….
Well at least Frank got some work out of this hope everyone made bail!
I disagree with MaoTsu about some of his ideas, but don’t see why you would ask someone “why do you live here?” and “why don’t you go live in [specific country or just any country that has trait X]?” as though you can’t love your country and disagree with elements of the system. This country was founded on democratic principles, it doesn’t matter if they established consensus voting, majority rule, or representation to achieve them. The Founders were far ahead of their time, so reality didn’t quite match up with their ideas(i.e. continuation of slavery and the idea that ‘All men are created equal’).
They gave us the ability to change our constitution and not long after wisely decided to amend it to grant the American people a set of very important civil rights, with the embodiment of a set of philosophical principles established by the Declaration of Independence.
I find it a sad state of affairs that so many of my fellow Americans do not hold such truths to be self-evident, and instead defend the very sort of tyranny imposed on us by our capitalist system, which instead of facilitating prosperity for all(which it may be capable of doing, just not in its current state), has been manipulated to concentrate the power in the hands of the few. When a politician refuses to act in the best interest of a majority of people(everybody) in favor of a minority(campaign contributors), we are denied representation, and that is not just. Everyone is created equal and they have rights like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, among others. Since these are everyone’s rights, the minority is supposed to be protected from ‘mob rule’ violating them(i.e. gay marriage = pursuit of happiness for a minority) Yeah, you should read it sometime, it’s got some pretty crazy ideas about justice and equality. To achieve our principles, we attempt to progress over time. By the way, there is nothing in our constitution about capitalism, so you should really get over that. If something affects our core principles(see: Declaration of Independence and Constitution(which we can change)), it’s un-American. Everything else is open to discussion.
This is so absurd. The SDPD has been very cool with the occupiers for the most part. Had the powerwashing been made known, I’m sure something could have been worked out. This was just unnecessary. Just another sad day for Democracy. Keep adding fuel to the fire SDPD. Can’t wait to see the turn out tonight!
Thank goodness. Even calling yourself an occupier denotes wanting to take or use something that belongs to someone else. Otherwise you’d be an owner. Pay for a permit, plan a march and protest on, but to continue to cost taxpayers (the the 53%, of which I am a proud member) millions of dollars all over the country to pay for additional police and other salaries just so you can piss and moan and have a big slumber party is not going to improve anything in the long run. That money is needed in so many other areas. Register to vote (if you aren’t already) and make your voices heard in the only way that really counts. Rock on.
Mary, the reason this is costing taxpayer money is the response from the City. Perhaps you missed out on the endorsement given by the LA Mayor and City Council. I don’t think that was because it was costing them money. Occupy SD has been “negotiating” with the SD City Council, who refuses to provide a permit or even talk with us. I am also a 53%, and furious that half of my income taxes pay for wars to make rich men richer! Not to mention furious that my son came home from Afghanistan with half of his brain! And since you don’t seem to recall, our elections have been BOUGHT and paid for by the Koch brothers, among others. We are all voters, and it doesn’t matter. We have written letters, signed petitions, and our government continues to ignore the outrage they hear. Congress has an approval rating of 9%, and couldn’t care less, because they are getting rich on Koch money, and drunk on Koch power. So STFU and be thankful that a large group of Americans want to protect YOUR freedoms as well as our own! We will LIVE in the City Parks, across the country, until things change. We will support our OWN candidates, and elect them to office, and kick these Koch-suckers out of office, and things WILL change, just like they did in the 60’s. So piss off, Mary!
The 53% refers to people who pay any Federal Income Tax. The other 47% still pay sales tax, payroll taxes, a whole slew of hidden taxes, property tax if they own a home and even state income tax in many cases. Just to clarify.
Wow, I’m very saddened to hear about this. God bless the Occupiers!
I think it’s disgusting that these police organizations can only operate in the dead of night – fewer witnesses I
guess. So sorry for your trouble. Hang in there
LOL. What morons.
Frank and Patty, great on-scene coverage! The show of force was ludicrous for the relatively small number of peaceful protesters. I really thought a lot of the police were sympathetic to the movement and I’d like to believe they still are but had to follow orders. But then I think of Nazi Germany and am also reminded that the soldiers in Cairo actually sided with the people. I’m rambling, this is very sad.
Couldn’t make it to the rally this morning but I look forward to hearing about whatever action is planned next.
March/Rally/Vigil 7pm Children’s Park march to Civic Center for Vigil at 8pm
“This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.” -Abraham Lincoln
Did Mayor Sanders, any member of the San Diego City Council or staff attend if not speak at a GA before last night? Does anyone know?
There certainly has been no formal or official attendance by any from the Mayor’s office or the City Council. Tony Young had been reported to have walked among the original tents and occupiers.
Hope Patty and Frank and all others of The Rag can stay on the job. Maybe the Mayor and Council members need to be asked what they’d like to see happen. They shouldn’t allow their police chief to be the sole source of information about who rules the day and night in San Diego.
Dorndiego- Patty and Frank are down there now and providing updates. Stay tuned.
Sad state of affairs.
this is just part of their plan to silence the movement. it won’t work of course.
I would say the San Diego Police are really Dumb for clearing out the occupy people. First of all the Protestors have not phsyical hurt anyone. Looks like the San Diego Police were being rough with the protester. Second of all this country should have Freedom of Speech. Third of all police should not be stealing stuff from the protestors since they do not belong to the officers. How would the San Diego Police like when the protestors took everything from each officers house and got rid of it all. The San Diego Police are sending the wrong message out.
Do the photos displayed in Frank’s article bring back fond memories to any of you guy’s? Probably NOT. But they’re here whether we like ’em or not. If these nationally co-ordinated police actions have any effect or no will be seen later. The big blow will be when the “Super committee” comes back with a deal between Democrats and Republicans. A deal that includes cuts to the “Big Three”. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. And no “Revenue Enhancements” or tax increases on the 1%. Combine the two things and we’ll see if the #OWS/your town movement has any grit or not. My guess is more grit. Things are going to get alot worse, so fight is the only thing left.
Hey, San Diego occupers! What did you all have that justified police in riot gear to descend on the camps.” I couldn’t see even a water gun.
If police in riot gear thought they facing “extreme theft” from the occupiers, did they have AK-47s or some other exotic forms of retaliation? Sorry, I just don’t understand the motives of sending in riot police. Where were the riots? I sure am clueles about the presence of police in riot gear. Pretty dramatic, but I fail to see their justification.
Corretion: “extreme dangers” Kind of like the Keystone cops with their lack of good sense and follow mindlessy by the dictates of the 1%. In fact, suppresion of legitimate concerns of the citizens which council and police show us their power over citizens of these entities that show non obediance to unequal treatent, that we will be crushed with violence and jail if we object and should not be compliant when we oppose unfairness, we are met with violent overtake of “the Kings of the hill” to suppress our constitutional rights of being able to live as human beings while the 1% tell us, like kindergarten children, what is best for us. Kingdom of the 1% ruling and looking down on the 99%.
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