(12-07) 12:12 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Police raided the Occupy SF camp early today, arresting 70 campers and protesters at Justin Herman Plaza and clearing out the 2-month-old encampment.
Officers, sheriff's deputies, firefighters and public works crews converged on the camp at the foot of Market Street at about 1:30 a.m. and gave protesters five minutes to clear out, said Officer Albie Esparza, a San Francisco police spokesman.
Most did, but 30 Occupiers did not, and another 40 were arrested when they blocked Market Street in protest, Esparza said.
The 70 were arrested on suspicion of illegal lodging and camping in a public park, Esparza said.
Two were arrested on suspicion of felony assault on a police officer after they threw a metal chair at him, hitting him in his face shield and causing minor injuries that did not require hospitalization, Esparza said.
Kristopher Sullivan, 31, a camper, said most of the Occupiers hadn't had time to retrieve their belongings, and police and protesters clashed for a bit. He pledged to reoccupy the camp.
Mayor
Ed Lee said the city had given the protesters repeated warnings that they had to clean up and move somewhere else.
"Communication ... deteriorated to a point where it was clear no progress could be made," Lee said in a statement. "In order to maintain public health, public safety and return the plaza for everyone's use, city agencies peacefully and orderly ended the encampment at Justin Herman Plaza."
Police Chief Greg Suhr said talks with the camp residents had broken down, forcing police to move in. He said a new crew of campers had taken over the plaza, and that the people with whom officials had been working with were no longer there.
"We weren't getting our e-mails returned," Suhr said.
The chief added, "Most of the people in this neighborhood are part of the 99 percent, and they needed some relief. So this part of the 99 percent removed that part of the 99 percent to give the other part of the 99 percent some relief."
Public works crews worked in the frigid air before dawn this morning, power-washing the park while officers with riot helmets looked on. About two dozen protesters stood on the plaza, watching. Garbage trucks hauled off debris that was strewn about the camp. Two dogs were confiscated by animal control officers before being returned to their owners.
Tents and belongings were confiscated by the Department of Public Works and can be retrieved from 1 to 5 p.m. today at agency's yard at 2323 Cesar Chavez St., officials said.
Matt Schmidt, an equity analyst who has walked by the camp twice a day for the last two months on his way to and from work, said he understood the protesters' frustrations with income inequality and bank bailouts.
But the city had let the situation deteriorate, he said.
"They probably should have done this months ago," Schmidt said. "Frankly, I think the (Occupiers) haven't really found a coherent vision that's cohesive."
The police raid followed an incident Thursday in which officers tried to erect barricades around the camp, calling it a safety measure. Police retreated when camp residents loudly objected, and officers removed most of the barricades.
Police officials said at the time that the reaction was an indication of the camp's volatility.
The city had offered to let Occupy take over an old school site on Mission Street near 16th Street, and many of those living in Justin Herman expressed interest. However, the camp could not reach the near-unanimous agreement required under Occupy protocols.
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