With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Police break up Occupy Riverside camp for 2nd time this month
Lollie Reynolds (holding sign) was among dozens of Occupy Riverside protestors rousted from a downtown encampment Wednesday morning. Reynolds and other protestors vowed to return.
(
Steven Cuevas/KPCC
)
Listen
1:25
Police break up Occupy Riverside camp for 2nd time this month
Police break up Occupy Riverside camp for 2nd time this month
Hours after police cleared the Occupy encampment in front of Los Angeles City Hall, authorities in Riverside moved in on a smaller encampment in Riverside. They cleared about 90 people from the downtown area and arrested three. The Occupiers are determined to return.
Riverside police officers swept through the encampment in an outdoor plaza near City Hall just after sunrise. They ordered about 90 people to take down about 30 tents or face arrest. Most people, including Russell Haynes and Lollie Reynolds, complied.
“We managed to pack and move most of the stuff off the premises 'cause there were a lot of cops and they were pretty insistent," Haynes said. "So to keep from starting a big, big commotion we just put down all our stuff and took it away, but it’s all stored and safe around here and we’re gonna bring it back later. He added that he would be sleeping there tonight.
"We come back tonight bigger and stronger, we rebuild," Reynolds said.
Sponsored message
About a dozen Occupy protestors lingered in the plaza afterward. A couple dozen police offers assembled nearby to make sure the last of the campers had cleared out their tents and other belongings.
Police lieutenant Guy Toussaint says the demonstrators may continue to protest, but they can’t pitch tents or operate an outdoor food kitchen. “If they want to be here to demonstrate, they are welcome to do that," Toussaint said. "We afford them their amendment rights to do those things, they just have to follow the rules as far as how to legally demonstrate."
Toussaint says that, if they start demonstrating again, "There is a maintenance program in place and they will be asked to remove their tents, and if they don’t, they will be arrested.”
Police arrested three people for not complying with officers’ orders. Toussaint says the department will step up patrols of the downtown plaza to prevent another Occupy encampment from taking root.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
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.
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.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
