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"Occupy Cal" Tents Torn Down by UC Berkeley Police-- Arrests Reported

By Sasha Lekach (BCM)
Thursday November 17, 2011 - 08:31:00 AM

It appears police in riot gear arrived at the "Occupy Cal" newly established encampment on the University of California at Berkeley campus this morning.

Footage from a livestream video at the campus showed police lined near Sproul Hall around 4 a.m. where Occupy Cal protesters had erected about 15 tents in violation of the university's ban on camping. 

Occupy Cal protesters began setting up the tents at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after the group's assembly voted in favor of doing so. A previous attempt to set up an encampment last week was foiled by university police, with the assistance of Alameda County sheriff's deputies. 

The videographer filming the encampment and police action this morning said two people were arrested after many of the protesters had left when police arrived before 4 a.m. 

A group "mic check," or community check-in, after the police raid confirmed that one UC Berkeley student was arrested, along with a protester from "Occupy Oakland." 

Twitter reports indicated police dismantled tents and moved protesters away from the Sproul Hall steps. 

Around 4:25 a.m. a small group congregated near Sproul Hall and briefly chanted, "Whose university? Our university!"  

Someone spoke to the small crowd and said he was upset that protesters were kicked out of their tents, but overall the raid was peaceful and police were not violent.