UPDATE 7 (November 13, 11:40 AM): Portland police dismantle Occupy Portland encampments at Chapman and Lownsdale Squares after a late night crowd in support of them goes home. In Oakland, some participants in Occupy Oakland forced their way back into Frank Ogawa Square and recovered it after being evicted and subjected to a police riot a couple of weeks ago. One wonders whether those involved in Occupy Portland will display the same resolve as it has been much less confrontational.

UPDATE 6 (November 13, 12:45 AM) : Police can't get through the crowd to reach the Occupy Portland encampment. Main Street is closed for three blocks out from it. Upon receiving the official announcement of the planned eviction, Occupy Portland treated it as a New Year's Eve invitation and invited everyone downtown. Interestingly, KGW News Channel 8 in Portland has placed the Occupy Portland livestream on its webpage. Bay Area news editors, especially ones that work for the San Francisco Chronicle, would rather eat rat poison than do something like that with Occupy Oakland. KGW also has its own livestream, where a police lieutenant, Robert King, is saying that the Portland Police Department anticipated a large crowd. Right. That's why the eviction notice was issued for midnight. Crowd continues to grow, while King says that the police plan to wait until the crowd dissipates. King and KGW keep emphasizing the good relationship with Occupy Portland. So why evict the encampment? Yes, the business community demanded it, just like in Oakland.

UPDATE 5 (11:56 PM): Occupy Portland eviction scheduled for four minutes away at midnight. An estimated 5000 to 6000 people awaiting police action. There is a livestream here, as well as a Facebook page and a Twitter feed on the Occupy Portland webpage:

The bike brigade has just arrived. Occupy Portland! #opdx

Mobile candlelight vigil encircling Occupy Portland. #opdx

Group on corner of Main & 4th have barricaded itself, chanting "We are non-violent. We are not leaving." #opdx

Mounted officers & riot cops on the ground, helicopters overhead, laughing overheard. #opdx

In this movement, it seems that the action doesn't get started until after 10:00pm. 6100 people watching the livestream.

UPDATE 4 (9:19 PM): Occupy Denver encampments dispersed by the police with 16 arrests confirmed and an undetermined number of additional ones. At one point, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into a crowd of occupiers. Police followed protesters down side streets as they attempted to regroup. Rumors rampant that Occupy Oakland will be raided tonight, with video activists en route to the encampment to record it. The Oakland Police Department has warned journalists of potential risk to personal safety if they cover the assault.

UPDATE 3 (2:41 PM): Derrick Jensen speaking now on ustream at Occupy Oakland. He is exhorting the police to refuse to attack the encampment and join it instead. He is also, to his credit, confronting the failure of some occupations to report rapes to the police. He asserts that people involved in occupations should force the police to do their jobs by turning accused rapists over to them. He demands that the participants in Occupy Oakland express a zero tolerance towards rape, which the men in the crowd do. He says that a cop friend told him that cops protect us from sociopaths. He turns towards cops nearby and rhetorically asks why cops attack unionists and indigenous people instead of sociopathic capitalists He says, If they won't protect us, cops should have the common decency to get out of the way.

UPDATE 2 (2:18 PM): Police are massing and putting on riot gear in preparation for a raid at Occupy Denver. For updates, there is a livestream here, as well as the Occupy Denver Facebook page. Meanwhile, there is another one anticipated tonight at Occupy Portland. The Occupy Portland Facebook page is probably the best source of up to the minute information.

UPDATE 1 (2:07 PM): OakFoSho has a ustream from Occupy Oakland. A pleasant, sunny day. Veterans have apparently occupied a building in the area, and the police have informed them that it may be raided within a few hours.

INITIAL POST: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland officials have approved another police assault upon Occupy Oakland, most likely in advance of the contentious UC Regents meeting in San Francisco next Wednesday, which will require a substantial, region wide police presence. Given that the Chronicle has been in the forefront of the hysteria to shut down Occupy Oakland, I am not providing a link to the article. For those of you interested in staying abreast of current developments, go to the Occupy Oakland website and follow the Twitter feed on the right side of the page. There is also a livestream here, and OakFoSho transmits live video from the encampment as well. They are likely to be your best sources of information in the event of another forcible eviction from Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Labels: Alternative Media, Bay Area, California, Occupy Wall Street, Police