(11-04) 01:03 PDT Oakland --

A majority of the Oakland City Council indicated late Thursday that they would like an end to the Occupy Oakland encampment in front of City Hall, but they did not vote on any proposals.

The statements came at the end of a five-hour meeting during which hundreds of people crammed into the council chambers for an emotionally charged discussion about whether to allow the encampment to remain at Frank Ogawa Plaza with city support. Several times, the rowdy crowd shouted down city officials as they tried to speak.

But after hearing from speakers who support the camp and others who said it hurts the city, Councilwoman Desley Brooks, a strong supporter of the camp, expressed reservations.

"I believe and understand the lack of hope and pain and frustration that people are feeling," said Brooks, who represents the East Oakland and who had camped with protesters for the first two nights and had been a regular visitor. "But I have been extremely troubled by how far do we allow your rights to go and infringe on other people's rights."

Brooks said the City Council is one of the most progressive in the nation, but added that campers did not try to work with the council.

"This is a council that would have worked with you," she said.

Brooks emphasized that the movement had a greater significance than what campers may realize.

"This is bigger than Oakland," she said. "It's bigger than a space. The movement doesn't die because you aren't able to camp in front of City Hall."

Brooks' speech was referenced by every council person who followed her as well as Mayor Jean Quan. The consensus was striking, in part, because Brooks has had bitter disagreements with several other city leaders, including Quan.

Quan did not say whether she will seek an end to the camp, but she said that about half the businesses in downtown feel the camp had been doing "a lot worse."

She also said she was disappointed that some people at the meeting mocked Joe Haraburda, president of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, who told the council the camp should be closed because it is hurting businesses.

Since the encampment started, two businesses have pulled out of a total of 50,000 square feet of commercial office space downtown, and another company with 100 employees decided not to open an office, Haraburda had told the council.

"The situation we find ourselves in is absolutely unacceptable," said Haraburda, who was heckled loudly by camp supporters. "We want the Occupy Oakland (camp) closed."

In a city with a high unemployment rate, Quan said, "Losing 3- to-400 jobs ... is pretty painful."

Quan said she also received a letter from the CEO of a company in Oakland that had 500 employees. The CEO, whom she did not identify, said that the protests that seem to disrupt businesses twice a year might prompt him to leave.

Several times a year, Quan said, "he's not sure his workers can get downtown safely."

Referencing a speaker who had said the city would go bankrupt, Quan said, "When you say you don't care if we go bankrupt, it makes us question whether you care for us."

The crowd was mostly silent as Quan spoke.

Earlier in the evening, however, the crowd shouted down Council President Larry Reid, interim Police Chief Howard Jordan and City Administrator Deanna Santana as they presented updates on the 25-day-old squatter village, which as of Thursday had about 165 tents.

Councilwoman Nancy Nadel, who represents the downtown area, intended to ask the council to adopt a resolution Thursday to sanction the camp in front of City Hall and to provide city support. But her resolution was strongly opposed by some people at the meeting, including residents and business groups that said the encampment has been destructive to the city's ability to attract and retain business and provide jobs. Hours into the meeting, Nadel said she would postpone seeking a vote on the resolution.

Wanting an end to the camp has been easier said than done.

On Oct. 20 and 21, the city posted a notice asking campers to leave and posted an eviction notice, respectively. The camp was cleared in a police raid on Oct. 25, but the next night, campers re-took Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Shon Kae, who has come to the camp every day since it first emerged on Oct. 10, questioned how the city would go about ending the camp.

"The question is how would they do it?" said Kae, 31, of San Francisco.

Kae said that there's deep distrust on the part of the city as well as campers.

"I think both sides are stuck in the image that if either side gives an inch, they'll take a mile," he said.

Nadel wants city departments - including public works, parks and recreation and the police - "to collaborate with protesters for the safe and lawful use of public spaces."

She also wants the council to discourage any police action in the camp.

At one point during the meeting, Jordan described how his officers had been surrounded by protesters and physically assaulted Oct. 25 as they cleared the Occupy camp.

"My officers showed great restraint," Jordan said, prompting loud jeering.

Jordan said that his officers were pelted with rocks, bottles, paint, urine and feces as they swept the camp.

"Liar," some people at the meeting shouted.

Reid struggled to control the chambers at many points. He had two of the 16 uniformed police officers at the meeting remove one speaker who refused to leave the podium. As people shouted down Jordan, Reid warned, "Keep yelling - I will ask you to leave."

The police union has estimated the city's costs in dealing with Occupy last week was more than $1 million, while Santana told The Chronicle this week that the police costs alone for part of last week totaled $700,000.

"I am appalled that the city has even considered using our meager tax dollars to harm poor and working-class people," said Molly Bolt, 30, an Oakland resident who spoke to the council with her toddler in her arms. "A million dollars could have moved every single person in that occupation into a studio apartment."

The crowd erupted into cheers.

The camp began with roughly 20 tents. By the time of the Oct. 25 police sweep, the entire plaza was covered with about 100 tents, a cooking area, a medic tent and even a Kids Zone.

Those things - as well as several hazards that prompted the police sweep - have re-emerged, city officials said.

The camp has a kitchen, which Wednesday included a propane stove, said Arturo Sanchez, assistant to the city administrator. Also, campers have rigged a web of extension cords that is buried under hay, Sanchez said. Combustible structures are being built.

Many people at the meeting decried police use of force.

However, one speaker, Viola Hampton, 73, expressed support for both the camp and police, saying she understands the need of police to sometimes use force to handle people who are violent or are vandals.

"They're there to protect us," Hampton said.

Other speakers said the camp must go.

"Oakland is a compassionate city, but people take advantage of Oakland," said Phillip Johnson, 49, a lifelong resident. "Somebody has to stand up for this city. Ms. Quan, you're a good person, but the business community doesn't like this."

Quan kept her eyes down, but gave a slight smile.