Note: morning update is at the end of this post.
Hundreds of protesters have torn down fences and taken a new park at 19th and Telegraph in Uptown Oakland, claiming the space and dancing wildly. There are no tents set up yet, and it remains unclear whether or not Occupy Oakland plans a permanent occupation. Tents are being erected, and it appears this is for real, setting up a direct challenge to Mayor Quan and the Oakland Police Department.
Here is a link to ABC's helicopter live feed. LiveStreams are embedded below.
A LiveBlog is located below the fold.
The amazing OakFoSho's livestream will be back up soon. Charging battery.
OakFoSho's Stream:
Video streaming by Ustream
LiveBlog
5:55 PST - After a day of boisterous and energetic marches, hundreds of protesters descended upon a park in Uptown at the corner of 19th and Telegraph, tore down the fences and immediately claimed the space. Many hundreds are there, and reports are that there are calls for tents, though this is unconfirmed.
5:58 PST - Reports are coming in that police are moving on protesters at Snow Park, another area where Occupy Oakland was gathered. The streamer should be there soon.
6:02 PST - lucaswolf Tweets:
Really good vibes down hear. Hundres chillin w music in new town square #oo #19thandtelegraph
6:05 PST - Reports are coming in that there was a false alarm regarding protesters facing police at Snow Park. The LiveStream will be back soon as Occupy Oakland continues to dance in what they're calling their new home.
6:08 PST - KTVU in Oakland reports that there are 13 tents already pitched at the new park, with calls for more to be erected. It appears as though Occupy Oakland is going to attempt another full-time occupation.
We will see, if they continue, whether police allow it to last through the night.
6:15 PST - Here is a link to one of the first photos of the tents that have been set up, via angrywhitekid.
6:18 PST - Here is footage earlier from the Occupy Oakland march. A large crowd:
6:24 PST Lucy Kafanov of RT relays a text alert she received:
#OO text alert: Occupy Oakland has a new home at 19th and Telegraph. Big housewarming part right now. Bring tents!
As the dance party, free food and tent erections continue, everyone's underlying question is this: what will the police and Quan do?
6:25 PST - Some folks are reporting that the overtaken park was slated to be a sculpture garden. If so, I wonder if Occupy Oakland knew this.
6:29 PST - Here is a link to ABC's helicopter live feed.
6:30 PST - There are reports of upwards of 500 people at the new park on the corner of 19th and Telegraph, with more potentially streaming in.
6:38 PST - Ustreamer OakFoSho is charging his battery and will be back soon. He Tweets:
Be back soon. Dont worry, it's gonna be a LOOONG Night!
6:39 PST - Rumors are that OPD are already planning to raid and expel protesters from the new park tonight.
6:43 PST - There are unconfirmed reports that riot police and police wagons have already arrived at the new park. Once the OakFoSho is back to streaming live (he does amazing commentary), we will know much more from the ground.
6:52 PST - While this was happening in Oakland, UC Davis students had surrounded the building where Chancellor Katehi had given a press conference and confronted her car in silence, shaming her as she finally exited and left. I'm sure there will be video of this as well.
6:56 PST - Approximately 80-100 riot police are reportedly outside the park as occupiers within dance with glow sticks and pass out food.
There will be a showdown again, tonight. And there will be police brutality again, tonight. I hope that I am wrong. History tells me I'm right.
7:03 PST - Here is a Tweet from a UC Davis student, where almost 1,000 awaited the Chancellor's exit from her press conference to confront her with silence with things were heating up in Oakland:
Chancellor leaves in utter silence as looks of shame stare at her. 1k stayed disciplined
7:13 PST - On the first LiveStream, the streamer answering questions suspects OPD will move tonight and forcibly evict them. As to whether it's going to be violent, he says, "That's up to them, not us."
7:20 PST - Approximately two dozen tents are up. While crowds are thinning at the moment, they are anticipated to bulk up when it's anticipated the cops will be moving. Estimates are anywhere between midnight and 3 am, though nobody really knows.
7:31 PST - Wow. Amazing video breaking from UC Davis, where 1,000 students stonewalled the Chancellor with absolute silence as she exited from her press conference:
7:48 PST - Gavin Aronsen of Mother Jones is on-site. (You can follow his Twitter feed here.) He just wrote, concerning a conversation with police officer outside the Oakland park now occupied:
She said what cops do tonight depends on how lot camp/party develops. Are you just keeping an eye on things? I asked. She nodded. #oo
With 100 riot police on site, that's likely a way to say, I'm not telling you our plans.
8:00 PST - Indications are coming in that the police stationed outside the park are not riot police. Additionally, many are indicating this occupation is "temporary," and that they will attempt to retake Oscar Grant Park at some stage.
For now, though, it appears they are going to try and see what happens tonight.
8:05 PST - For those who missed it, the park taken by Occupy Oakland is slated to be a sculpture garden. There is a bit of controversy about them taking this space, and the community is definitely not pleased.
8:07 PST - Call to Daily Kos Diarists - This is a call to see if anyone would like to begin a new Live Blog (particularly those on the West Coast). I have a sick little one, and must take over tag-team duty here soon.
Send me a PM is you'd like to take this over, and I can redirect people to your diary.
8:25 PST - I must go care for my little one. Anyone should feel free to begin a new live blog.
Morning Update - 6:08 am PST - I'm back this morning to give an update on the situation and what's occurred.
The encampment at the new location remains, with police choosing not to intervene for the time being. According to Gavin Aronsen of Mother Jones, police were told to simply keep an eye on things and make sure that everything was peaceful and safe. The assumption is that, at some stage, this will be peacefully resolved.
Occupy Oakland has made an announcement that the new encampment at 19th and Telegraph is just a "camp," and that they intend to retake Oscar Grant Park in the future, indicating this is temporary.
A very interesting conversation between occupiers, Gavin Aronsen of Mother Jones and police on the scene overnight gives a very good anecdotal case of what the attitude of the police were last night. Here are some of his Tweets in order to give you a sense:
An occupier tells the officer he needs to take a long-term view: costing money now, but when we succeed we'll have more money.
"You're protesting in the wrong place," the officer says, telling the occupier he should run for office.
What about all the money spent on internal investigations at OPD? That's federal, the cop says
The woman: "The city knew, before they spent $2 million, [#oo] was going to come back."
Spirited discussion now: cop talks more about running for local office. Protesters tout importance of civil disobedience.
"I'm telling you right now, you need to run for office," cop says. "If you don't want to be controlled by corps run grassroots" campaign.
"This is not going to change anything," cop says, pointing at the new #oo camp. This convo's kind of going in circles now.
"99 percent of us don't want to be out here," another officer says, about #oo. Tonight, he says, OPD was just told to make presence.
An occupier showed officer Kayvan Sahbegi beating video, and an enlightening convo about his views on appropriate police response has ensued
"I wouldn't even wish this job on my kids," the officer says. He says one the hardest parts of job for him is to deal w/domestic violence.
Compared to that, #occupyoakland is nothing, he implies. On Sahbegi, he gently grabbed my wrist to demo what better response may have been.
"There's always a couple bad apples," the officer says. He says it's been a problem with Oakland protests for years. #occupyoakland
------------------------------------------
Follow me on Twitter @David_EHG
------------------------------------------