Occupy activists march at Riverside police headquarters

Activists held a rally Friday outside Riverside police headquarters to protest excessive force officers allegedly used against Occupy demonstrators last weekend. Police arrested 11 people in that melee.

Last week, officers swept through the encampment after Occupy demonstrators refused to remove tents and bundles of clothes and food from of a public plaza near city hall. Police arrested one person for assault. Hours after that arrest, demonstrators had reclaimed their spot outside UC Riverside’s Culver Center.

That’s where about 100 demonstrators began their latest march. First they headed to the county jail, where officers temporarily detained demonstrators after last weekend’s clash with police. Then they marched down the block to rally outside police headquarters.

“I was mad because they were taking away all the stuff we worked so hard to get from the community in order to sustain our camp," said a protester named Dani.

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Dani, who did not want to give her last name, was arrested last weekend.

“We had to do it so, we’ve been accused of breaking laws. And to say it’s ok that the police used the force that they did, I had one officer grab my left arm which is now sprained and just twist it behind my back and you know it’s just unnecessary force and abusive behavior at the hands of the RPD," Dani said.

Police say demonstrators last week violated a city ordinance that prohibits overnight camping in a public space without a permit. That’s when officers arrested Umberto Rivera. He jumped into the Occupy protests five months ago after he lost his job at a Wells Fargo Bank.

“They said that we attacked them with a lethal weapon. I don’t know what weapon they’re talking about. Because all we had was tents, food, they came with handcuffs, pepper spray. We’re here peacefully and they say we have no specific demands. Well you gotta be patient with us, America," Rivera said. "Look what we’ve done in just two months since Wall Street started. We’ve totally changed what people are talking about now.”

Demonstrators continue to occupy the downtown Riverside plaza, but tensions with police have cooled since they decided to stop camping there overnight. Another, permitted, Occupy encampment has taken root a few blocks away.