Los Angeles police used nearly a dozen undercover detectives to infiltrate the Occupy LA encampment before this week’s raid to gather information on the anti-Wall Street protesters’ intentions, according to media reports.
None of the officers slept at the camp, but they tried to blend in during the weeks leading up to the raid to learn about plans to resist or use weapons against police, a police source told the Los Angeles Times. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing.
This is one of the more alarming things to come out of the Occupy L.A. movement, which was noted for having a decent relationship with the city before the encampment’s closure.
» Dumping the lot of it: Of the above-mentioned 30 tons of stuff (referenced in the article as a mixture of garbage, debris and personal effects, so likely a blend of stuff people both would and would not like to have had back), 25 tons have already been hauled off and taken to a landfill. We haven’t been able to find much information about whether the Occupy LA Library has seen its catalog meet this fate, as well — following the NYPD raid on Occupy Wall Street, protesters claimed thousands of their library’s books were missing or destroyed when they retrieved them from storage.
» However … In a major difference between the end of a number of other protests (most notably Occupy Oakland), police did not have to pull out pepper spray to end these protests. The LAPD was very careful with their strategy in this department. Despite the mayor calling for the closure of the camp early Monday, the police department held off two days, giving protesters time to leave on their own. That thinned out the numbers. As for those that remained, they had some minor scuffles with police at first, but those eventually faded, and protesters only got arrested after they didn’t immediately leave the park. Only a handful of major Occupy encampments remain at this point, most notably in DC and San Francisco. (EDIT: Updated Occupy Philly arrest count; the protesters left the encampment peacefully but were arrested for disturbances outside of the encampment.)
Aside from a few protesters who reportedly threw things at police (they were arrested), there was no violence, and cops ultimately let encampment stay. Demonstrators chanted “We won, we won, we won!” as the police left.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ordered the shutdown of the Occupy L.A. encampment on City Hall grounds at 12:01 a.m. Monday, saying officials can no longer “maintain the public safety of a long-term encampment,” according to a statement issued Friday.
Photo: Park hours have been posted outside Los Angeles City Hall, reminding Occupy L.A. protesters of existing city codes that call for the lawn to be closed daily at 10:30 p.m. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times
Here’s the notice.
The encampment in City Hall Park is not sustainable. This is especially true from the standpoint of public health and public safety. Accordingly, we must close, repair and re-open the park to public access. For this reason, we will close the park on Monday, November 28th at 12:01 am. The park closure will include a set of measures that will assist Occupy LA participants to move their personal belongings and property from the park. We will also offer social and health services for those in need.Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in a statement regarding the eviction of Occupy L.A. protesters. The note takes a very conciliatory tone, one that reflects the positive relationship the movement has with the city: “It is my hope that we can conclude this first chapter of Occupy LA in a similar spirit,” the mayor writes. “I admire your courage and character. You have opened the eyes of your fellow citizens to the economic hardship in their midst. I am encouraged by your passionate commitment to social justice and look forward to the continued progress of your efforts.”
Earlier this week, the city offered the group a bizarrely awesome deal involving free office space and farmland, but later rescinded the offer after it became clear that the deal could provoke a backlash. Instead, the city’s offering up space in homeless shelters for homeless occupiers.
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