An encampment, erected in solidarity with Wall Street protesters outside the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank building, was dismantled by police in the early hours of Thursday morning. Photos by Luke Thomas.
By Luke Thomas
October 6, 2011
As many as 70 baton wielding, riot gear clad San Francisco police officers broke up a peaceful Wall Street protest encampment outside the Federal Reserve Bank at 101 Market Street in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The police crackdown followed a protest march Wednesday through the financial district that included as many as 600 demonstrators.
While police surrounded the protesters, Department of Public Works employees confiscated their belongings, according to a press statement released by OccupySF.
“The police, wearing helmets and carrying batons, formed a perimeter around our goods and prevented us from saving anything while they supervised Public Works employees as they stole everything,” OccupySF said. “We saw multiple officers with tears rolling down their cheeks. We could tell that they wanted to join us.”
Police provided encampment protesters with formal notice late Wednesday that they were violating several laws including fire code violations, blocking a public sidewalk and serving food without a permit. They were ordered to dismantle their camp by 12:00 am.
During the raid, one protester was arrested for an alleged assault on a police officer, said SFPD spokesperson Albie Esparza. (Video of the alleged assault here).
“Our main goals are to ensure public safety and to ensure protesters have the right to protest, as long as they remain peaceful.” Esparza said. “People have the right to protest as long as they are not setting up camp. People can show up in person. That’s not a problem and we’re here to facilitate that aspect.”
Esparza said she did not know why the raid took place in the middle of the night, or who ordered the police action.
“That is something I am trying get information on,” Esparza said. “I can tell you that the police department, we’re the ones that make our own decisions.”
Calling themselves the “99 percenters,” the protesters had convened on the San Francisco Federal Reserve in solidarity with similar protests that began on Wall Street in New York City, September 17. Their collective aims include drawing attention to the growing disparities in wealth, corporate greed, auditing the Federal Reserve, taxing the rich, the Obama administration’s bailout of banks and resultant rising unemployment and foreclosures, as well as cuts to public services.
Diamond Dave, an activist and frequent on-air radio personality, said America’s economic fall provided an opportunity for Americans to begin a discussion about creating a new society “not based on the almighty dollar.”
“I think people are beginning to realize that financial power is being held in fewer and fewer hands,” he said. “These people seem to have a disease or something where they can never have enough while more and more people are being pushed down, down, down.”
Supervisor and mayoral candidate John Avalos participated in yesterday’s protest march and defended the right of protesters to assemble while condemning the Federal Reserve, a private agency which is no more federal than Federal Express. He urged Americans to transfer what’s left of their savings accounts held in national banks into smaller community banks that care about the communities in which they serve. As part of his mayoral platform, Avalos is championing the creation of publicly-owned municipal and state banks.
“Have you ever felt like you’ve been had?” Avalos asked, standing outside the Federal Reserve. “That’s why this building right here is a symbol of the incredible greed and wealth that has accumulated into fewer and fewer hands.”
Despite last night’s raid and temporary setback, OccupySF vowed to continue their protest.
“We are still at the camp indefinitely,” OccupySF wrote. “We are calling on all of the 99% to mobilize ASAP. This occupation must continue to grow.”
Photos
As many as 600 protesters alight outside the Federal Reserve in San Francisco, Wednesday, prior to marching through the financial district and to City Hall.
Protesters create signage for the demonstration.
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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The Hunger Site
October 7, 2011 at 6:59 am
Annie,
Diane and I are the same age and I love my wrinkles. It was merely a statement about how the major networks (smaller markets too) have stopped going for substance and catered to ‘beauty’ and vanity. It began when Dan Rather replaced Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS evening news.
Vega’s no empty head like Rather. She’ll do fine.
I’m enjoying my senior years.
h.
October 7, 2011 at 6:46 am
Declaration of the Occupation of Wall Street
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives or provide relief in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*
To the people of the world, We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!
Source: https://secure.nationofchange.org/october-2011/?ref=banner
October 7, 2011 at 5:59 am
h.: Diane Sawyer is 67 years old, two years older than you I believe. What makes her wrinkles a subject worth note, and worth your commentary?
October 6, 2011 at 10:07 pm
just a note that the mayor of seattle is issuing permits for a continued presence of occupy seattle. the mayor expressed support for the movement and its ideals.
October 6, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Couple of thoughts, so please hear me out.
I don’t always agree with those that set up permanent protest spots, but I agree with their right to do so. Even if they don’t agree with my right to not engage or just walk on by them, I understand their rights. (Keep your spot clean and, in my opinion, no harm no foul.)
Ed Lee HAD to have signed off on this one, and by ‘had’ I don’t mean he actually had to do it, but that the cops in SF normally do not remove peaceful protesters at a time that could lead to an escalation of the protest, so he HAD to have given the thumbs up to it. (I can hear the campaign cash register ringing…how about you?)
Lastly, coverage on this protest is pitiful on all outlets, even the left leaning ones.
J Doherty
October 6, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Fab piece and pics,
You’re about all that’s left to record these things now. Look what’s happened to the Bay Citizen. They’ve gone to Bay Area News Service wire instead of sending reporters. Do they have any left? They canned their editor-in-chief a month or so back and Elizabeth Lesly Stevens appears gone. I’ve seen nothing from Gerry Shih.
No one’s reporting about Matt Smith and his frau being shown the door at the SF Weekly earlier in the week.
For some however, the door swings the other way.
Just watching the national news on abc (Victoria the cat’s favorite station) and suddenly there is the glowing youthful beauty of Cecilia Vega doing some story or other it doesn’t matter … and she’s sitting across from Diane Sawyer who is melting into wrinkles before your eyes and she says to Vega, “It’s good to see you back, Cecilia.”
I don’t think she meant it.
32 sleeps til election day.
Go Niners!
h.
October 6, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Interim Mayor Ed Lee issued the following statement:
MAYOR LEE’S STATEMENT ON OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTEST IN SAN FRANCISCO
Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement on the Occupy Wall Street protest in San Francisco:
“I understand and sympathize with the anxiety and frustration felt by so many in our country caused by a lingering recession and joblessness. That’s why I am doing everything I can to create jobs, get people back to work and make our families stronger here in San Francisco.
I support the spirit of the Occupy Wall Street movement that calls for peacefully assembling to protest and bring national attention to disparity issues in our country.
In San Francisco, protesters are acting within their First Amendment right to free speech and freedom to assemble. While allowing for peaceful protests, we also must ensure that our streets and sidewalks remain safe and accessible for everyone. I will continue to work closely with our Police Chief to ensure San Francisco responds appropriately to these demonstrations.
San Francisco is a city that embraces free speech and freedom to assemble like no other city.”
October 6, 2011 at 4:38 pm
The reason for Occupy Wall Street and the 99% er’s. Gaze upon it if you dare.
Maybe this will help make the danger of fiat money clear.
Imagine you and me are setting across from each other. We create enough money to represent all of the world’s wealth. Each one of us has one SUPER Dollar in front of him.
You own half of everything and so do I.
I’m the government though. I get bribed into creating a Central Bank.
You’re not doing what I want you to be doing so I print up myself eight more SUPER Dollars to manipulate you with.
All of a sudden your SUPER Dollar only represents one tenth of the wealth of the world!
That isn’t the only thing though. You need to get busy and get to work because YOU’VE BEEN STIFFED with the bill for the money I PRINTED UP to get YOU TO DO what I WANTED.
That to me represents what has been happening to the economy, and us, and why so many of our occupations just can’t keep up with the fake money presses.
http://photos.imageevent.com/stokeybob/followthemoney/Supersingle640x537.jpg
October 6, 2011 at 2:09 pm
THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE.
John, I have posted elsewhere since last night when I first heard that you were “Johnny on the spot”. I can only repeat my deep gratitude and respect as you continue to fight for the rights of all of the people. There are many unanswered questions that I’m sure will be brought before the Board, in Public Comment at least. I am requesting that ‘someone’ place this issue on the Agenda, preferably at the next Full Meeting.
I am not asking for, or expecting, an answer in this forum, but of great concern is who issued the order for the SFPD action last night. Was the notification presented to the protestors an official legal document. Were the Interim Mayor and D6 supervisor notified and consulted before the ‘order’ was issued. If not – why not. If so what involvement did they have in the decision making process. Finally, why were you the only city official, apart from SFPD, who showed up to try and resolve the situation.
Though I guess I can answer the question. When people need help, respect and representation, they know who to turn to. Mile gracie.
AVANTE ALCALDE AVALOS.
PS. The check’s in the mail.
October 6, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Supervisor John Avalos released the following statement a few moments ago about last night’s raid:
Last night I gathered in solidarity with the protesters Occupying San Francisco. Like many people all over the country, I have been watching this protest gather strength and grow as more and more of us, more of the 99% demand accountability from the corporations and people who are responsible for the destruction of our economy and devastation of our families.
I came to down to observe the protest last night in response to summons from protesters and a notice from the police accusing their encampment of a number of minor infractions, ranging from open flames on a city street or sidewalk to serving food without a permit. I observed and negotiated with police in good faith to keep the peace and allow the encampment to remain, only to hear of a crackdown shortly after I left.
This is not the San Francisco that I know. This is not the San Francisco I love. This City has served as a sanctuary for free speech and assembly for generations, and we must protect that legacy. With our unemployment rate nearing 10%, we have a responsibility to be a sanctuary for the 99%. Instead, last night we witnessed that 99% being detained, arrested, and intimidated with force.
My vision is of a true sanctuary city – one that protects our right to free speech and assembly, and one that holds real criminals accountable. This should be a city for the rest of us – for the 99%. I stand with Occupy SF.