Posted on 10/09/2012 12:04:53 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
OAKLAND -- A protest at City Hall that surprised both the Police Department and top city officials caused more than $12,000 in damage to public buildings and thousands more to private businesses, city officials said Monday.
A day after about 200 protesters roamed downtown streets with no consequences, smashing windows of businesses and city offices, city officials were still trying to explain why no one was arrested and why police were unprepared.
The protest was billed on Facebook as an anti-imperialist rally and march, timed to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
But the Police Department had no idea the march was going to occur, and by the time officials realized a large gathering was forming and vandalism had begun, it was too late to call in off-duty officers for extra support, said police spokeswoman Johnna Watson.
"We did not have any information that we had 200 to 300 protesters on their way here," Watson said. "The march presented itself, and in that march, they went very quickly doing their vandalism.
"That is very difficult from a law enforcement perspective," Watson continued.
...
About an hour later, protesters had left a swath of vandalism in their wake as they broke glass front doors and windows at two city offices and about nine private businesses, including the Oakland Tribune.
Two windows were broken at the newspaper's office. Protesters also targeted three bank branches, the offices of Kaiser Permanente, AC Transit, Fox Theater, Sears and the Oakland Scientific Facility, which houses computers and data storage for Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Banks were closed for Columbus Day on Monday.
Protesters also slashed tires and broke windows on a couple of cars.
(Excerpt) Read more at insidebayarea.com ...
FINE!!!
So I need more coffee or something..
:)
So lemmie see if I got this straight: If ONE guy fails to alert police that he is planning to destroy property but just goes ahead and does it police will show up and stop him but if a mob does the same exact thing cops will miss claim no one told them? Wouldn’t seem to make any sense...
Some of the posts on this thread have been self-serving, ignorant drivel. Ever since the last “Occupy” manifestation in Oakland, virtually every cop, who participated in quelling those animals has been under investigation for doing his job. The police department is under a federal consent decree, overseen by a leftist federal judge, who with the acquiesence of the leftist politicians has rendered policing (in Oakland) non-existent. The cops, who can, are bailing-out of that city in droves. Sound familiar? Detroit, Stockton, San Jose ad nauseum?
and cops are supposed to “protect” us......fat chance....we’re on our own....
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