Oakland Police Release Video of Occupy City Hall Break-In
Recording appears to refute claim that doors had been left open
The Oakland Police Department released surveillance video Wednesday that appears to show an Occupy Oakland protester illegally prying open the doors of City Hall.
The department posted the video online as rumors spread that City Hall doors had been left open on Saturday, allowing protesters easy entry.
The video appears to refute that claim. In it, someone pries open the doors with a tool before a group of protesters floods in. The recording, taken by a surveillance camera just inside City Hall's front entrance, shows protesters throwing leaflets, flyers and garbage into the air and on the floor. One person carries an American flag out the door, where footage from another camera shows protesters setting it on fire amid cheers. Police officers do not appear in any of the clips.
The City Hall break-in was the culmination of an Occupy demonstration Saturday that demanded nearly the full attention of a depleted Oakland police force.
Protesters began the action with an attempt early Saturday afternoon to break into the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, with the stated intention of claiming the empty building as Occupy headquarters. Police eventually used tear gas to break up the crowd, and protesters fled, many eventually gathering in front of the Oakland YMCA.
With fewer than 200 Oakland police officers attempting to contain more than 300 protesters, a side group of demonstrators broke away and headed for City Hall. After forcing their way into the building, police say the protesters “severely damaged” an antique model of City Hall, vandalized offices, broke into an elevator panel, attempted to activate the fire sprinkler system and broke windows. None of the alleged activity, other than the break-in and flag burning, can be seen on the video released by police.
The department had few, if any, officers near City Hall and could not sufficiently respond to the break-in, according to officers who worked the protest. They said most Oakland police were focused on the YMCA until officers from other agencies arrived to provide mutual aid. Police arrested 409 people over the course of Saturday's events.
“This type of criminal behavior, clearly outside of the First Amendment, is disrespectful to the residents of Oakland and is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in my City,” police Chief Howard Jordan said in a statement. Jordan, who was previously the interim chief, was appointed to the permanent position Wednesday. “The residents of the City deserve better than this, and it’s time for the violence and vandalism to cease,” he said.
To bolster charges of vandalism, the department also released four photos of the break-in. Two detailed images show protesters in the process of burning the flag on the front steps of City Hall.
One photo shows the 100-year-old model partially shattered and overturned on the floor. Another photo shows what appears to be a messy table surrounded by chairs. Cynthia Perkins, a police department spokeswoman, said the photo depicted an office in City Hall that was vandalized, but did not specify exactly what protesters had done to the space.
Investigators have not made arrests in the break-in. They called on the public to help identify the protesters in the photos and video footage.
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