Oakland Cops Fire Tear Gas at Occupiers

Hundreds of people protesting the eviction of the Occupy Oakland camp clashed with police last night. Police fired tear gas at least five times into a crowd attempting to retake the camp outside Oakland City Hall, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The protesters regrouped after each tear-gassing, with some throwing paint, bottles, and other missiles at police in riot gear. A police spokesman says they had no choice but to use tear gas to protect officers, two of whom were injured by thrown paint and chemicals.

Protesters have vowed to keep trying to retake the camp, which the city says it cleared for sanitation reasons. "People are going to keep coming back. What are they going to do, send cops in every night and waste taxpayer dollars?" said one ousted protester. Some, however, said that they support the Occupy movement but not the violent tactics of their fellow protesters. "They didn't have to force police into that situation," a nurse said. "It was totally provoked, and if I could have, I would have stopped those idiots from throwing paint." (More Oakland stories.)