Police came in 12 squad cars to shut down the OO occupation of a foreclosed home...& then retreated!
Photo below posted on Twitter.
The message below was hand-delivered, door-to-door, in the economically depressed West Oakland neighborhood where Occupy Oakland is occupying a foreclosed home at 18th & Linden.
This occupation of the foreclosed home & adjacent lot had begun with the occupiers stating they had the verbal permission of the home owner. However, earlier today, SF GATE reported that the Lot owner wants Occupy Oakland's latest camp gone
"I have asked them to leave," said Gloria Cobb, who owns the lot at 18th and Linden streets. "They won't leave. I can't afford to stop work and physically go down there."
------------------------
Activists said Cobb gave them permission to set up their tents, but Cobb denied that.
"No, it is not the case," said Cobb, the sister of longtime activist & Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb.
The SF Gate also reported that Cobb had contacted the OPD in an effort to have the occupiers removed.
Then tonight the police appeared.
Tweeted at 9:00 PM
FoolishReporter RT @bayreporta: #occupyoakland txt: cops give 30min warning to occupiers of foreclosed property at 18th and Linden st. At lwast 12 cop cars present
Occupiers on Livestream telling police they have a verbal agreement with the owner to be there. Obviously, that is somewhat contradicted by the SFGate's story. Police are serving eviction papers. Meanwhile, a neighbor shows up with pizza for the occupiers.
The officer in charge of the operation explained that the owner had signed the papers re: tresspassing & it was recorded on video. Occupiers are heard on live-stream claiming the papers aren't signed though, & quote one officer referencing the SF Gate article as the basis for their legal action.
9:10 PM.
Most of the tents & other equipment have been taken away by the occupiers. About 100 remain.
9:15 PM.
A neighbor from across the street brings pizza over for the 100 or so remaining occupiers.
9:20 PM.
A lone occupier begins shouting at the police, "Are you sure you have enough police to do this?"
9:45 PM.
27 Oakland Police assemble to move in.
9:57 PM.
The police suddenly get in their cars & all leave.
9:58.5 PM.
Occupiers cheer as the police drive away.
10:15 PM.
Police are still nowhere in site. About 70 occupiers inside the lot & about 40 people outside the lot. Other people who had left when the police arrived & now returning.
10:20 PM.
Occupiers discuss the pros & cons of staying or relocating to another of the 30,000 foreclosed properties in Oakland without the ambiguities of this particular occupation. A neighbor from across the street of the occupation is interviewed on Live-stream & claims that she has talked to all the neighbors & that they're in support of the occupation continuing at 18th & Linden.
I'm left wondering why did the police leave?
Unsigned papers, owner's vacillation, or not enough officers?
UPDATE: 10:40 PM>
For background on this, please check out JPMassar's great diaries-
http://www.dailykos.com/...
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Insightful tweet from Kossack Allie123
alyssa011968 RT @lucaskrech: That was the most cops I've seen in my neighborhood. A flood for people on private property, someone gets shot…tumbleweeds.