Saturday, September 26, 2009

100+ Arrested in Oakland

Hours after the G20 leaders had left town, there was one more clash between police and protesters last night. About 400 people were gathered at Schenley Plaza including protesters, students and the curious. Pamphlets had been handed out during the "Peoples March" earlier in the day to attend event that night at Schenley Plaza. Police declared it an unpermitted gathering and order the group to disperse. When they failed to do so, police dispensed tear gas and fired rubber bullets. More than 100 were arrested.
Vic Walczak, legal director of the Pennsylvania American Civil Liberties Union, admitted it's difficult to balance public safety duties without overreacting and said in many cases police behaved commendably...."But what we saw in Oakland Thursday evening and last night was police losing patience and there does appear to be an overreaction. When you have a lot of students who are simply minding their own business, trying to get out of the way, trying to disperse but have no place to go, that's a problem."
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Michael Huss commended the work of city police, out of town officers and other law enforcement over the last couple of days and said the training the officers received before the G20 will have lingering benefits.

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