Robbery, hate charges for 3 Occupy protesters OAKLAND

Three people identified by police as Occupy Oakland protesters were charged Friday with robbery and hate crimes for allegedly battering a woman and stealing her wallet Feb. 22.

Oakland police said the woman was walking in the 4000 block of Piedmont Avenue around 6 p.m. last Wednesday when she heard a small group of Occupy Oakland protesters "calling for a riot."

"The victim, who has been a resident of the area for over 20 years, suggested to the protesters not to riot in her neighborhood," police said in a written statement. "She was surrounded by three protesters and battered as they yelled vulgar epithets regarding their perception of her sexual orientation."

The victim eventually broke away from the group and called police, according to the statement. Her wallet was taken during the confrontation.

One of the suspects was arrested that night, while the other two were arrested Wednesday at another Occupy Oakland protest, police said.

The Alameda County district attorney on Friday charged 32-year-old Michael Davis, 23-year-old Nneka Crawford, and 24-year-old Randolph Wilkins with robbery and a hate crime, according to police.

In the statement, Oakland police said they prioritize hate crimes for immediate investigation because "a suspect who commits a hate crime aims not only to terrify or harm one individual but to threaten and terrorize the entire actual or perceived group of people to which the victim may belong."