'Occupy Oakland': Police Tear Gas Protesters [VIDEOS]

By Amrutha Gayathri | October 26 2011 5:05 AM

California police resorted to tear gas as many as five times Tuesday, attempting to force hundreds of Occupy Oakland protesters to disperse. The protestors at the entrance of the Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th Street and Broadway were unyielding, even after repeated warnings from police, which led to the firing of several tear gas canisters around 7.45 p.m. Pacific Time.

Reuters

An Occupy Wall St. demonstrator in a wheelchair is pushed away as authorities deploy tear gas during an demonstration in response to an early morning police raid which displaced Occupy Oakland's tent city in Oakland, California October 25, 2011. Police and protesters scuffled in the streets of Oakland on Tuesday as more than 1,000 people marched on city hall to voice anger over scores of arrests at an "Occupy Wall Street" camp.

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The crowd was protesting the forced eviction of camps that Occupy Oakland activists had inhabited for 15 days, until police stormed them Tuesday morning. Even though protestors scattered following the chemical attack, they regrouped immediately and were seen offering eye drops to each other, reported San Francisco Chronicle. One woman was wounded after being hit by one of the canisters and was immediately taken to a hospital.

Police fired tear gas canisters again, around 9:30 p.m., when the crowd began throwing objects at them. Officials closed Broadway, between 13th and 16th streets, after the crowd scattered.

Dozens of people were arrested when police evicted the protesters and dismantled their encampment.

The Occupy Oakland demonstration, inspired by Occupy Wall Street in New York, began with a rally Oct. 10. Protestors set up tents that evening. In addition to the encampment of 150 tents, protestors have organized or participated in marches. The two protest sites at Frank Ogawa Plaza and Snow Park were dismantled by police officers early Tuesday morning.

Numerous amateur videos have been uploaded on YouTube, depicting tear gas firing by police, as well as the arrests made.

Tear Gas at Occupy Oakland: Video