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By Nadin Abbott
Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report
November 16, 2011 (San Diego) --Last night, Occupy San Diego called for an emergency march in support of Occupy Wall Street in New York, after police evicted the protesters overnight. Today’s San Diego march was attended by two hundred people, who walked down Broadway to Police headquarters on 14th Street, then into the Gaslamp Quarter.
Tomorrow, occupy groups across America are joining together in a National day of Action. Locally,“Occupy the Clairmont Bridge,” is planned at 4 p.m. According to the group’s Facebook page,Wednesday’s rally will draw attention to a need for infrastructure jobs to put people back to work. Barry Willis, a core organizer and Media Committee spokesman at Occupy San Diego, said the new location will make the movement more accessible to East County communities.
It is as “an expansion of Occupy San Diego,” he said, adding that the new location “will give more exposure to the movement.”
Among the organizing team for Occupy Mission Bay was Ray Lutz, a long time East County Democrat who also ran against Duncan Hunter for the 52d Congressional District.
Lutz also announced a press conference for this evening at which spokesperson from the San Diego movement will “respond to the aggressive police raid of the "Grassy Knoll" next to Civic Center Plaza early this morning, and the lawsuit filed in state and federal courts regarding municipal code section 54.0110,” Lutz wrote in an e-mail to supporters.
Police arrested 10 people during the night after protesters refused to leave for a clean-up of the area, according to San Diego Police. SDPD Executive Assistant Chief David Ramirez told media during a briefing today that the occupy site had "become a real safety hazard" due to outbreaks of violence and unsanitary conditions.
Among today's marchers was Faith Atteguile of Encinitas who came because “she is one of the ninety-nine percent.” She also told me that she “feared the face of police we have seen in Oakland and New York will come to San Diego.”
There have been complaints of police brutality in those cities. For instance, a woman showing a copy of a court order allowing protesters to remain in New York was punched in the face by a New York police officer, as caught on this video:
City Heights resident Joni Craig, from the “Middle Class Women,” came with a strong contingent. She said that they will continue to be active and that the group continues to grow.
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