While a phalanx of police in riot gear watched silently from across the street late Tuesday night, about 200 Occupy Oakland protesters cleared out a camp they'd maintained all day on a lot in West Oakland, but that wasn't the end of it.

It took about an hour to tear down the 25 tents and move them, some chairs and a food station to the sidewalk. Once that was accomplished at about 9:30 p.m. the police left. About half of the protest crowd also left, but then at about 10:15 p.m., the remaining 50 or so went back onto the lot to mill around, set up at least one tent and begin chanting slogans.

"We will not be defeated!" one man yelled through a bullhorn. Several members of the group said they intended to leave soon and plan their next move today, but others said they were considering staying on the lot.

"We thought the owner wanted us here, but I think maybe she didn't know what she was getting into and changed her mind," Occupy activist Leo Ritz-Barr said as he cut a huge "Occupy Oakland" banner off the fence surrounding the lot at 18th and Linden streets. "We'll find another action.

"The encampments aren't the most important part of our work, and we can find other ways to fight for people to stay in their homes. If anything, this shows how hard it is to help them," he said.

Police gave the group a warning to clear the lot at about 8:30 p.m., protesters said via Twitter.

Earlier Tuesday, the woman who owns the lot said the group had moved in without her permission and that she wanted them out.

"I have asked them to leave," said Gloria Cobb, who owns the lot. "They won't leave. I can't afford to stop work and physically go down there."

Activists had said late Monday that Cobb gave them permission to set up their tents, but Cobb denied that.

"No, it is not the case," said Cobb, the sister of longtime activist and Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb.

About 25 tents and a food station had gone up since late Monday, when Occupy Oakland's general assembly voted to take up residence on the grassy patch of land, which is surrounded by a chain-link fence.

Police spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson said Gloria Cobb contacted the department Tuesday and was in the process of signing a form to allow officers to enter the property.

Watson said the intention was to give the Occupiers, who had already numbered around 50 by mid-afternoon, a chance to leave. If they declined, officers would arrest them on suspicion of illegally entering private property, she said.

New phase

Caitlin Manning, an organizer, said the move onto foreclosed property was a new phase in Occupy activists' protests against economic inequality.

"This is the first attempt to take over property that belongs to the 1 percent - the banks - and give it back to the people," Manning said.

Records show that Cobb was served a default notice in August and has until Dec. 11 to right the loan before the property returns to the lender, Wells Fargo bank. The parcel includes a residential building, but neighbors said the lot has gone unused since at least 1980.

Manning said the protesters had picked the location because they'd been told Cobb approved of their message. She expressed surprise when she learned of the owner's request for them to leave.

"That's a complete change in tune," Manning said.

Residents on the street offered varying degrees of interest in their new neighbors.

Jahmal Elliott, who lives across the street, said it was good to see the empty space being used. "As long as they don't bother me, I'm not trippin,' " Elliott said.

Melvin Welch, who lives next to the encampment, said no one had told him the tents were going in, despite protesters' statements that they had met with neighbors ahead of time.

Welch said he was still trying to make sense of the sudden flood of people and media onto his front porch.

Throughout the day, campers and supporters strolled onto the vacant lot, bringing tents, wooden pallets and food.

Thaddeus Guidry, 24, manned an opening to the lot through a tear in the chain-link fence, allowing in supporters and denying access to the media.

'It's going to go on'

Told that Cobb did not want them squatting on her property, Guidry said he hoped she would visit them and was confident she'd want them to stay.

"Gloria is going to get on board," Guidry said. "If she doesn't, we're still going to do this movement. It's going to go on."

The camp went up less than a day after about 100 protesters were moved out of the last long-standing Occupy Oakland camp, in Snow Park near Lake Merritt. Demonstrators at the new site said they intended to camp for the foreseeable future.

"The community supports us," said Julion Lewis-Tatman.

Some in the neighborhood, however, were upset.

"They're just moving from spot to spot, and they're not accomplishing much," said Bobby Wilkerson, 61, a bus driver who has lived in the neighborhood his whole life. "They're messing with the people they're trying to help. They're not camping in front of corporations."