Gene MaddausWith reporting from Dennis Romero. Occupy this awesome Ted Soqui slideshow of the night's festivities here.
1:05 p.m. [Wednesday] LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh says there were 292 total arrests, including 290 for alleged failure to disperse, one for allegedly interfering with a police officer and one for allegedly battering a police officer. No injuries among cops were reported.
4:25 a.m. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told reporters there were 1,400 officers on-hand and more than 200 arrests made. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praised the restraint displayed by officers and said the operation was an example of good constitutional policing. “In my life I've never seen a more professional, restrained police force in very, very trying circumstances,” the mayor told reporters at a 3:30 a.m. press conference. (See video of the press conference at the bottom).
Occupy barricade.; Credit: Dennis Romero
2:40 a.m. The plaza sitters still slowly being arrested, telling cops about issues
like the cost of the war in Afghanistan and sexual assault, before they are led off, per L.A.
Times pool. Tents have been flattened. Signing off…
2:26 a.m. And here comes the cherry-picker. But you can't cherry-pick an idea.
2:13 a.m. LAPD are slowly removing and arresting the plaza sitters, per Daily News pool. Arrestees are going limp. Very calm scene. The guys in the trees will be the last to go. 25-30 arrests total so far, per LA Weekly's own Dennis Romero.
1:47 a.m. LAPD has a cherry-picker for the guys in the trees. Chants of: “We are unstoppable! A better world is possible!”
99 percenters.; Credit: Dennis Romero
1:43 a.m. Chief Charlie Beck seen walking through the plaza, per Daily News pool
report. Four protesters injured, two transported to hospital, per LAFD. In addition to 1200 cops, about 130 fire personnel on scene. In the plaza: “Lock arms!”
Occupying the street.; Credit: Dennis Romero
1:31 a.m. Clergy brought over to try to convince the seated protesters to relent. Police aim rifle with rubber bullets at the guys in the trees, per L.A. Times pooler, but do not fire. “Hard block the gun!”
1:21 a.m. Chants of “Don't shoot!” as officers try to get protesters out of trees. About 15-20 arrests so far, per LAPD media relations. Park is mostly clear, as officers go tent-by-tent.
1:07 a.m. Livestream shows a group of Occupiers seated in a circle in the plaza at the
center of City Hall Park. Zip ties coming out. La Placita Olvera Church has opened its doors to evicted Occupiers.
An LAPD officer takes aim at the guys in the trees with a rubber bullet gun. No shots fired.; Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Pool
12:58 a.m. “I ask that anyone who remains in the park to please leave voluntarily.” — L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
12:52 a.m. Moving people east down 1st Street. Tents deflating. More arrests. Pooler Frank Stolze of KPCC gets this image of an arrest.
12:45 a.m. Mic check! Cops should have tried the people's mic.
In the “circle of peace,” Occupiers await arrest; Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Pool
12:38 a.m.: 10 minutes to disperse. Officers in hazmat suits. Some technical difficulties with loudspeakers.
12:31 a.m. Crowd moving back into park, per Reuters pool. “I have the right to be here!” “Is this about the grass?”
12:26 a.m. Cops announce an unlawful assembly. Officer warning to non-pool media: “This is gonna get very dangerous.”
Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Pool
12:19 a.m. Officers converge from all directions. Arrests.
12:15 a.m. Police pouring out of south entrance of City Hall, onto south steps. Ordering occupiers to clear the area. Cop shoves guy with a camera to the ground on KCAL.
12:12 a.m. One thing MSM broadcasters and UStreamers have in
common: When nothing's going on, you still have to talk. Skirmish line
at 1st and Main. Chants of “We are peaceful!”
12:04 a.m. LAPD has latex gloves due to concerns of staph infections among Occupiers, per LA Times pooler.
LAPD officers line up as they prepare to move in to City Hall Park; Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Pool
11:39 p.m. Cops have heard rumors that Occupiers have “wrist
rockets” and may use them to shoot marbles at officers, per L.A. Daily
News pool. Other LAPD concerns: Occupiers may throw feces or urine. Cops
may have to use cherry picker to get the guy out of the tree.
11:20 p.m. Approximately 30 buses carrying 1200 police officers
staged at Dodger Stadium, per Reuters pool report. LAPD said police will
declare an unlawful assembly in an area a couple blocks around L.A.
City Hall. Anyone wishing to leave can do so. The rest will be subject
to arrest.
10:52 p.m. LAPD Commander Andrew Smith: “We're going to use as much restraint as possible.” Video. Protesters at 1st and Main: “Whose street? Our street!”
10:35 p.m. Police in riot gear lining up along 1st Street and
Broadway. Gary Silbiger of National Lawyers Guild says 30 legal
observers are on hand. “We think strongly that people have the right to
assemble here,” he said.
10:18 p.m. Fireworks? Yes, fireworks. Park will “close” in 12 minutes (though it is already “closed”).
10:12 p.m. KCAL finds a guy who says he's out there because the Masons and the Rothschilds run the world.
10:07 p.m.: “I don't want to be arrested,” said Lu Cruz, a Montebello teacher who came out to support the movement. “I do have to work tomorrow. But I will stick my neck out as far as I can to protect the Constitutional right to free speech.”
LAPD officers wait on a bus as they prepare to evict Occupy L.A.; Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Pool
9:38 p.m. CBS live video shows buses of police officers on the move. Streets around City Hall being closed. LAPD on citywide tactical alert.
9:16 p.m. Reports of several hundred officers loading onto buses at Dodger Stadium. Occupiers have set up this trash-can barricade to stop them.
REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Pool; Credit: LAPD Chief Charlie Beck confers with Asst. Chief Earl Paysinger at the staging area.
7:38 p.m. Occupy L.A. has put out a Twitter-plea urging supporters to come down to City Hall before the streets are blocked off.
Mary Slosson, of Reuters, reported on Twitter that she saw 7-8 city buses, a police mobile substation, and a dozen police cars heading to the Dodger Stadium lot.
Mario Brito, one of the Occupy city liaisons, has sent out a press
release urging a “nonviolent resolution to the encampment at L.A. City
Hall.”
“We call on all sides to show respect and restraint,” said the release,
which was joined by Good Jobs L.A. and other labor organizations.
Destination: Occupy L.A.; Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Pool
Here's four live video streams. They tend to go in and out, but at least one should be working at any given time. First, OccupyFreedomLA:
Here's another one from Occupy Oakland, who have come down to witness the L.A. eviction:
Here's another feed from CrossXBones.
And here's the view from the L.A. Times building:
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