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Occupy LA eviction deadline passes, protesters remain
Occupy L.A. protesters took to the streets after the deadline for their eviction from City Hall passed early Monday morning, prompting a police response.
(
Grant Slater
)
Occupy L.A. protesters took to the streets after the deadline for their eviction from City Hall passed early Monday morning, prompting a police response.
(
Grant Slater
)
Occupy L.A. protesters took to the streets after the deadline for their eviction from City Hall passed early Monday morning, prompting a police response.
(
Grant Slater
)
Occupy L.A. protesters took to the streets after the deadline for their eviction from City Hall passed early Monday morning, prompting a police response.
(
Grant Slater/KPCC
)
Occupy L.A. protesters took to the streets after the deadline for their eviction from City Hall passed early Monday morning, prompting a police response.
(
Grant Slater
)
Occupy L.A. protesters took to the streets after the deadline for their eviction from City Hall passed early Monday morning, prompting a police response.
(
Grant Slater
)
Occupy L.A. protesters took to the streets after the deadline for their eviction from City Hall passed early Monday morning, prompting a police response.
(
Grant Slater
)
Midnight—Crowds stay strong outside City Hall as the deadline arrives for the building's south lawn to be closed.
(
Eric Richardson / blogdowntown
)
Midnight—Crowds stay strong outside City Hall as the deadline arrives for the building's south lawn to be closed.
(
Eric Richardson / blogdowntown
)
Hundreds of protesters attended what could be the final general assembly on the City Hall south steps on Sunday night.
(
Grant Slater
)
Occupy Los Angeles protesters read parts of the Constitution and California penal code to the officer on duty at the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters on Sunday evening.
(
Grant Slater/KPCC
)
A woman sings a protest song to kick off Sunday evening's general assembly meeting at Occupy Los Angeles.
(
Grant Slater
)
The Occupy protester who guided Sunday evening's general assembly spoke briefly with the encampment's official timekeeper.
(
Grant Slater
)
Eric Pendleton of Santa Monica dressed in a suit and tie as protesters held a general assembly on Sunday evening.
(
Grant Slater/KPCC
)
Spokesmen for the LAPD fielded questions from reporters outside the encampment on Sunday night.
(
Grant Slater
)
The Occupy camp's kitchen remained up and running. A long line had formed to get a meal.
(
Grant Slater
)
Hundreds of protesters attended what could be the final general assembly on the City Hall south steps on Sunday night.
(
Grant Slater
)
Listen
0:40
Occupy LA eviction deadline passes, protesters remain
LAPD Commander Andrew Smith speaks with KPCC's Eric Richardson about the progress evicting Occupy L.A. from City Hall (3:00 a.m.)
The deadline for Occupy L.A. protesters to evacuate their encampment at City Hall passed relatively peacefully Monday morning. As of 3 a.m., Los Angeles police had yet to forcibly evict protesters. There were no reports of arrests.
"No violence and no arrests," LAPD Commander Andrew Smith told KPCC's Eric Richardson. "So far so good."
As the 12:01 a.m. deadline passed with no movement by police to evict the camp, demonstrators began flowing into the surrounding streets in an apparent attempt to block them. Police in riot gear moved in as the crowd chanted "Whose streets? Our streets!"
LAPD responded by cordoning off the thoroughfare around City Hall and warning those in the street that they risked arrest if they remained there, prompting another chant: "Back to the park!"
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Among the oldest members at City Hall Monday morning was 90-year-old Edwin B. Stegman. The longtime lawyer was one of thousands who joined the protesters Sunday evening. He told KPCC reporter Frank Stoltze that it was a "perfect night for a riot."
LAPD issued a tactical alert Monday as the deadline passed, allowing the department to keep extra officers on duty. So far, the police have been tight-lipped about how they plan to evict the nearly two month-old encampment.
Commander Smith told press that the department "will not discuss what our timetable is or what our tactics are."
Earlier Sunday, Mayor Villaraigosa said in a statement that protesters would have "ample time to remove their belongings peacefully and without disruption."
Protesters gathered on the lawn of City Hall all throughout Sunday to plan their reaction. Some took down their tents in anticipation of an eviction. Others, incited by the mayor's call, put new tents up. At a meeting, organizers called for a December 12 "occupation" of Los Angeles ports.
"The coalition stands in solidarity with all west coast occupations that will take place in key west coast ports and cities on this day," organizers said in a statement. "The intention is to effectively disrupt the capital flow and profits of the 1 percent in the billions of dollars."
The Occupy L.A. encampment has been in place since October 1st, inspired by the "occupy" encampment that sprouted first at New York's Wall Street, and spread from there to locations throughout the country.
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Demonstrators originally gathered to protest what they consider the unfair wealth disparity in the United States. After several attempts at negotiations between City Hall and Occupy L.A. representatives, Mayor Villaraigosa announced Friday afternoon that protesters would have to evacuate the premises, citing sanitation and safety concerns. Many have vowed to stay put.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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