Occupy Oakland Causes Rowdy Saturday Night

KTVU news van damaged by vandals.

Six were arrested in downtown Oakland for charges including  vandalism, assaulting police officers and possession of explosives during an  anti-police march on Saturday night organized by Occupy Oakland protesters,  police said.
    The march was organized by a branch of Occupy Oakland called the  "Tactical Action Committee," protesters at the scene said, and began at  around 8 p.m. in Frank Ogawa Plaza.
    Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said that six protesters were arrested by 11 p.m.

"During the march, protesters broke patrol vehicle windows, vandalized a media van, threw bottles at the police, and lit an object on fire at the intersection of 8th Street and Washington Street," Oakland police said.

    The march snaked through downtown Oakland, and Watson said that  during the march protesters broke police car windows, vandalized a media van,  threw bottles at police and lit a fire near the corner of Eighth and  Washington streets.
    Watson said the six arrests were for assaulting officers,  possession of explosives, resisting or delaying officers and vandalism. The  explosive recovered was a quarter-stick of dynamite, Watson said.
    Occupy Oakland protester Spencer Mills, who frequently broadcasts  demonstrations on the Internet, condemned protesters he saw throwing bottles  from the back of the crowd, calling them "cowards" and stressing that the  majority of Occupy Oakland protesters do not condone violence.
    The march comes amid increased tensions between Occupy Oakland  protesters and city officials as protesters have charged that police have  harassed protesters at Occupy Oakland actions in recent weeks.
    After 12 were arrested Wednesday in Frank Ogawa Plaza at an  ongoing vigil there, the National Lawyers Guild and protesters from the  group's Interfaith Tent decried what they called continued harassment by the  police.
    Members of the Interfaith Tent called for protesters to enter City  Hall on Thursday to confront city officials, and several dozen protesters  attempted to that afternoon.
    However, the doors to City Hall were locked, but after  negotiations, three members of the Interfaith Tent were allowed inside for a  meeting with city officials.
    While recounting the meeting to the crowd waiting outside at the  front door of the building, two more protesters were arrested at a side door  on 14th Street, protesters said.
    Organizers of Saturday's march have called for a weekly  anti-police march on Saturday nights.
 

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