Occupy Oakland spurs large police response for “Move-In Day”

Saturday was dubbed “Move-in day” by thousands of Occupy Oakland protesters but was most noted for the tense confrontations with area police, infiltration of Oakland City Hall, and more that 300 arrests.

Citizen journalists broadcast live video streams on ustream.com while activists kept Twitter full of updates throughout the day. After a tense and unsuccessful occupation attempt of a vacant convention center in downtown Oakland that afternoon, protesters regrouped in front of city hall and announced a new occupation of an undisclosed location.

A march of about 500 people began to move north and snake through city streets as the evening sun set. Music could be heard playing through an amplifier at the rear of the crowd as protesters chanted “Whose street? Our street!” The heavy presence of police in riot gear attempted to contain the growing march about 15 blocks from city hall, but many protesters scattered to avoid becoming victims of kettling—a police tactic used to corral large numbers of people.

Momentum of the march was soon directed away from police as protesters on bicycles darted through the neighborhood. Protesters turned around and began to march south but encountered riot police at 23^rd street near a YMCA. By 6:30 PM the protest was completely surrounded on Broadway by riot police on foot and in vehicles.

Reports suggest an individual already inside the YMCA had unlocked the doors to help some protesters slip away from the crowd. Police quickly tightened the perimeter around the march and announced over a loudspeaker “you have failed to disperse and are now under arrest.”

The sprawling march was condensed to the sidewalk by police and some skirmishes appeared to unfold. Police were seen tossing bicycles away from the building and crowd while some protesters were allowed outside the perimeter and away from the arrests. Some protesters shouted their name to citizen journalists as they were filed down the sidewalk in handcuffs. One protester was seen being led away by police with a small amount of blood streaming down his face.

Police vans and buses entered the area near the YMCA just before 7:30 PM. Meanwhile, a small group of protesters returned to City Hall and several entered in hopes of holding a General Assembly within the city council's chambers. This group had little support from fellow occupiers as office furniture and documents were removed from the building. An American flag was also removed and onlookers failed to stop its burning.

Many protesters remained in the unlit park outside as, for nearly 20 minutes, only three police officers were available to secure the entrance. Police reinforcements eventually arrived by the dozens as the number of protesters grew in the area. One protester was then taken by ambulance to the hospital after she was allegedly “clubbed in the kidney” by an Oakland police officer during an earlier march.

Another march of about 50 protesters soon left Oscar Grant Park and headed toward Oakland Police Department to support those arrested at the YMCA. Contempt for law enforcement was high among this march as chants for “total freedom” blared from a bullhorn and were echoed by the crowd. Police scanners began relaying to officers throughout the city that resources were thin, but police still swarmed the area around the march.

Upon reaching the police department, the protesters began howling into the night sky to show support for the arrested protesters. They quickly turned their attention to a police bus, however, as it approached the building and entered an underground garage. Protesters ran towards the closing door and shouted for the release of those arrested when a canister was thrown from inside the building. The canister was returned before the door shut completely—protesters nor police were seen wearing protective equipment.

Police quickly advanced on the march as both groups navigated through streets littered with overturned shopping carts and trashcans. One protester was seen trying to tie his shoe while others told him there was no time as a line of police quickly shortened the space between them. The march returned to Oscar Grant Park just after 9:00 PM and police established a riot-line across 14^th Street.

The intersection of 14^th and Broadway quickly filled and a standoff ensued between occupiers and police. Officers from neighboring law enforcement departments were seen with Oakland police but without name badges. Shouts of “go home” and “fight some real crime” were heard from protesters as more police filed into the area. A girl approached the police line and began to dance for a moment before she turned and walked away, at which time she was arrested. One citizen journalist reported the “imported cops” were responsible for her arrest.

Around 10:00 PM, after a final act of defiance in the form of an impromptu sit-in, police gave a 5-minute warning for protesters to disperse. The warning was met with thunderous disapproval from the crowd—completely drowning out the voice on the police bullhorn—but ultimately heeded. Police made one final advance across the intersection but the crowds stayed on the sidewalks.

A citizen journalist reporting for The Revolution Will Be Streamed on uStream.com commented “Every sort of dispersal weapon was used today. Other than the LRAD, pepper balls, smoke bombs, tear gas, bean bags, rubber bullets—I saw all of those being used. Lots of flash bangs. I think people were just pissed off by how the police retaliated today. People felt they needed to do something.”

Thanks to ustream.com users punkboyinsf, OaktownPirate, TRWBS, and OakFoSho for the live stream of the January 28^th Occupy Oakland footage.

-MDS

A second look at Second Sun

Anniston business Second Sun, Inc

manufactures high-efficiency LED

lighting for many commercial

applications which replaces current

high-pressure sodium and florescent
lighting technology

While dark economic times continue to linger worldwide, a change can be seen just west of downtown Anniston.

For over a year, Second Sun, Inc. has been making high-efficiency, high-output light fixtures using solid state LED (light-emitting diode) technology to provide business owners with cost-cutting solutions, address environmental and energy concerns, and challeng the common notion that US-based manufacturing is dead.

Jack Meacham, CEO of Second Sun, says his company's light solutions are for “any industrial or commercial operation” to replace current lighting options with LED technology. According to Meacham, nearly all manufacturing and warehouse buildings currently use older lighting such as metal halide, high-pressure sodium, or florescent lights to illuminate large areas. “Since we compete against these other lighting options, we can save anywhere from 50 to 80 percent off of current power costs.” He also adds that  LED lights will last over 10 years, where “comparable metal halide will usually last one to two years and require a myriad of maintenance issues.”

Meacham also explains how Second Sun can find advantages through recent government legislations to promote future growth. In an effort to address rising energy costs and consumption in the United States, former President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law. This legislation plans a transition to more efficient lighting technology, and as a result, manufacturing of incandescent light bulbs has begun a gradual decrease. Meacham estimates that LED lighting will be one of the few technologies to survive “the entire menagerie of lighting. Even flourescent will probably fall to the wayside.”

A standard high-pressure sodium (left) in the parking

deck of Regional Medical Center in Anniston is tested

against an LED light engineered and manufactured

by Anniston businessman Jack Meacham

Jack Meacham ultimately hopes Second Sun will help the local economy by delivering cost-effective technology to business owners while showing “that [manufacturing] doesn't have to be done in others countries. It is not about the cheapest product, it is about the biggest value for your dollar.” Over the next few years, Second Sun plans to add manufacturing jobs and spur growth for a wide variety of employers. Most aspects of manufacturing will be done “as close to this area as we can get.” He promotes the idea that any US business can still compete on a global level by offering and utilizing highly innovative and efficient products.

“For years that was the advantage of making things in the US. Since a vast majority of products have now become the 'throw-out paper cup', the US needs to begin focusing on the bigger picture.”


-MDS

Battlefield Burnout

Wrote these lyrics this morning. They kinda read in an interesting manner, and I haven't posted much lately.

Until now...

Broke down on the side of the road, letting in this moment of losing control. So tired are these legs of mine as they pump this beat in double-time while I'm caught up in a childish dream. I guess I lose—never thought it would happen to me. My ears are in throbbing pain wishing something new while staying the same. No. I have to go. I have to leave. Wield the strings or wield the sword; which was better for me? Burned out from that last little stretch, but finding out I'm not quite slipping just yet. These things that I plainly see are the reasons for an illness which necessitates a remedy. By now it seems that I would have learned the metaphors are a bad substitution for hurt. So lay down on the battlefield. I'll take a look at the sky and tell myself that I have to know. I have to see. Wield the pen or wield the sword; which one's better for me?

-MDS