Occupy Oakland's peaceful protest turned violent when cops showed up with clubs.

When it comes to large groups of people, it’s easy for civil unrest to turn from nonviolent to violent.  All you have to do is either add some idiots or add some police.  Until now, the Occupy Wall Street/Occupy movement protests have been peaceful.  Just large groups of people shouting in financial centers or on the steps of City Hall, camping out in parks, and generally being tolerated by authorities.  That tolerance streak ended in Oakland California overnight.  Police used tear gas canisters to disperse Occupy Oakland protesters yesterday evening.

“We felt that the deployment of the gas was necessary to protect our officers,” said Oakland interim Police Chief Howard Jordan at a press conference.

The Occupy Oakland protesters are said to have pelted police officers with rocks and other materials AFTER the police used tear gas to disperse them from Frank Ogawa Plaza at 7:45 PM.  Earlier in the day, police had broken up the Occupy Oakland encampment there following a 15-day protest.  The police used tear gas multiple times to prevent the protesters from regrouping in the area.  Say what you will about the relative merits of Occupy Wherever, but these people are very determined to be heard.

Tags: Oakland, California, tear gas, police use tear gas on Occupy Oakland, Occupy Protest broken up with tear gas, occupy Oakland, Frank Ogawa Plaza, protests, civil unrest, Howard Jordan, chemical agents, protest attacked with tear gas, police brutality, protest turns into riot in Oakland

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