Hundreds of Critical Mass Bikes Join Friday Night Rally With OccupySD

by Doug Porter on October 29, 2011

OccupySD regroups, hundreds turnout in solidarity, October 28, 2011. Photo by Patty Jones

Coming off a Thursday night where the San Diego City government ordered the eviction of OccupySD protestors from both Children’s Park and the Civic Center, it was no surprise on Friday night that the atmosphere had changed downtown. Fifty one people associated with the ongoing demonstration had been jailed on charges ranging from violating curfew to obstructing a police officer. Some of them were still in jail.

The police presence on Friday was now somehow more threatening. Words that couldn’t be taken back had been exchanged over the previous twenty four hours. Images of brutality were etched in the minds of some, even if they hadn’t actually witnessed them, with tales of miscreant behavior flowing freely though the crowd grapevine. The Us vs Them (Occupiers vs Cops) mentality was prevailing, much to the delight, I suppose, of those itching for a fight and those who would prefer to circumvent the real issues of economic justice at hand.

The cops, for their part, were there to show they meant business. Sleeping bags were confiscated. People trying to use the sidewalk to make protest signs were rousted, lest they be confused with humans trying to sleep on the ground. A group of a dozen or so cops marched into the crowd as I arrived (about 6:45) to arrest an angry bearded man. The crowd responded by yelling “shame’, “shameâ€