San Diego Police Take Over Occupy San Diego – at least 44 Arrested

Police Sweep Through Making Arrests and Confiscating Personal Belongings and Donated Supplies – Organizers Call for 8 am Protest Today at the Plaza.

In the early hours of October 28, San Diego Police swept through both encampments of Occupy San Diego, making at least 44 arrests and confiscating all personal belongings and all supplies and food that has been donated.

Around 1:45 am officers started to sweep through Children’s Park without warning and made at least 8 arrests there. Simultaneously, over hundred police and sheriffs deputies swept through Civic Center Plaza, ordering everyone out. A confrontation then occurred at B Street and 3rd Avenue as the remaining occupiers faced off with lines of blue and brown shirts. Police and sheriffs all had batons and other riot gear.

At least two men who were arrested were punched and beaten by police during their arrests. Several of those arrested were US military veterans. One man arrested was a legal observer. Details of his arrest were not available at this time.

All the donated food and other medical supplies were confiscated by police at both sites. The fate of the nurses’ station at the Plaza is unknown but it is assumed that their supplies were also confiscated.

I called Assistant Police Chief Boyd Long at approximately 2 am and he told me that they were sweeping both sites as people had been ordered to clear the areas earlier. Actually, the occupiers at Children’s Park had been told by Long that as long as they did not erect tents, the encampment at the Park was okay.

A couple dozen occupiers at the Plaza sat down in the road on 3rd Avenue. Many of them were arrested when small groups of cops rushed them. Even though people yelled at the police, there was no violence on the part of the demonstrators, who were in their 21st day of occupation.

Demonstrators were clearly upset and angry. Several called out to the police that they were not being “American” and that American rights were being violated.

Remaining protesters were in disarray and a number moved through downtown San Diego in the dark. Others remained on the sidewalk at the Plaza.

Barricades arrived to be placed up at the Plaza. Police on the scene said that the Plaza was to be “power washed” and that demonstrators could return to the site but without any belongings.

Organizers who were still milling around outside the Plaza shared the word to return to the Plaza at 8:00 am to protest the early morning arrests made without warnings.

At about 4:45 am group of about 30 demonstrators were having an impromptu meeting at Broadway and Harbor to discuss their next move.

Coincidentally, there were plans for the San Diego Labor Council and the national nurses’ union to have a “sleepover” at the Plaza Friday night.

Video by Patty Jones