OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU)-- Under the cover of darkness early Tuesday, riot-geared Oakland police began arresting and clearing out ‘Occupy Oakland' protesters who had defied an order to abandon a makeshift encampment set up at city hall.
Sources told KTVU that '30-40' protesters had been arrested.
In a prepared statement, Oakland City spokeswoman Karen Boyd said that as of 4:30 a.m. police began enforcing the "notice of violations and demand to cease violations" to people staying overnight in the Frank Ogawa Plaza.
City officials also were advising downtown Oakland employers to consider having employees delay their arrival to work. City employees were also being advised to delay their arrival, Boyd said.
A BART official said that as a precaution, the 12th Street station is closed as of 5 a.m. with trains running through the station. The 19th Street station, however, remained open.
The lawn in front of city hall has been crowded with tents from several days.
"I'm committed to protecting our First Amendment rights and not let us be pushed around," Reyko Kikage, 31, who described himself as a member of the camp's security committee, said over the weekend.
City officials had cited concerns about rats, fire hazards, public urination and acts of violence at the site, which has grown to more than 150 tents and includes health, child-care and kitchen areas.
Kikage said although some troublemakers had come to the camp, the vast majority were peaceful.
Other California cities have also tried to prevent protesters from camping out overnight. In San Jose, two people were arrested and another person cited Saturday morning for camping out in City Hall Plaza, police said.
Eight people were arrested and another cited earlier in the week.
"What we're trying to do is nip this problem in the bud," said Sgt. Jason Dwyer. "If they keep setting up shop, we're going to keep taking them to jail."
Arrests have also been made in Sacramento and San Francisco.
