Occupy Oakland says it will seize vacant building

[alp227]

Occupy Oakland protesters say they will gather outside City Hall on Saturday, march to an undisclosed vacant building and commandeer the space as a social center and political headquarters for the movement.

If police prevent the seizure, the protesters warned today, they will take further actions. Possibilities include future blockades of Oakland International Airport, the Port of Oakland or City Hall, according to a letter to the city from Occupy Oakland.

The noon rally and 1 p.m. march "signal a new direction for Occupy Oakland, putting vacant buildings to the service of the community, not the banks," Leo Ritz-Barr, 21, said at a press conference on the steps of City Hall.

Deputy Police Chief Jeff Israel said his department would take its usual approach to the protesters, waiting to see exactly what they do.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/25/MNB31MUEM8.DTL

[Zorra]

1. knr

[Duer 157099]

2. Interesting, especially in light of this story about the Oakland PD:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120125/WIRE/120129674/1350?Title=Oakland-police-could-face-federal-takeover

Oakland police could face federal takeover

By PAUL ELIAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:07 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:07 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO— Mayor Jean Quan vowed Wednesday to quickly reform the scandal-plagued Oakland Police Department after a frustrated judge threatened a federal takeover if it fails to quickly make good on changes agreed to nine years ago.

(more at link)

[lonestarnot]

3. Woot!

Occupy vacancies!

[gaelic]

14. Occupy Wall Street, Not Palestine

[Robb]

4. A "social center"?

This should be interesting. Foosball? Youth soccer?

[TheWraith]

5. And then likely get arrested for it. nt

[joshcryer]

7. Property law gives them recourse.

Shall be interesting to see how this plays out.

[TheWraith]

8. Not likely. Adverse possession takes time.

Adverse possession laws are for cases where people take care of a property for some significant period of time, not "This building is vacant, now it's ours."

It's also not going to win them any friends locally when they announce they feel they can just take over a building and make it theirs. So net result, they're probably going to alienate more people, and get themselves in trouble at the same time.

[joshcryer]

15. Not just that, but eviction laws and whatnot.

I don't think adverse possession plays well here, but if they can muster up a contract with an owner somewhere, they'll have to go through eviction proceedings. Get a really sucker owner to "let you stay until repairs are done" and you are there for years.

[lonestarnot]

17. And how is this action any different than what banksters did to them/us and are continuing to do?

[randome]

18. Because the banksters, for the most part...

...followed the laws that were tailor made to their advantage. (Except for the ones who are being charged and sued for illegal foreclosures.)

With this action, OWS is flirting with anarchism.

They should focus on changing the stupid laws, not proclaim that the laws don't apply to them because they are on the side of 'right'.

[lonestarnot]

19. If they can't produce the paper, and they are not the true mortgage holder, then what they have done

is theft, plain and simple. How the fuck is that following the law?

[randome]

20. The article doesn't say that paper doesn't exist to prove ownership.

So your assumption of 'theft' is ill-founded.

[Devil_Fish]

6. They should pool their resources, or get donations and buy one of these vacant buildings and use it

for that purpose.

Oakland is so run down is spots, they should be able to get a vacant ware house pretty cheep.

[izquierdista]

9. "The people are the city"

And the city has an eminent domain right to take property and put it to use.* If some bank or 1%er is sitting on property waiting for the bubble to reinflate so they can unload it, I think it's about time that the people of the city exercised their eminent domain rights.








*[font size = 1]providing they fairly compensate the owner.

[randome]

10. "People of the city"?

And so Occupy Oakland is composed entirely of native Oaklanders?

[izquierdista]

11. That's what's nice about Occupy

You don't have to travel far to find one. There is probably one where you call home.

[randome]

16. Didn't answer my question.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

12. The Black Sheep of Occupancy, is in desperate need of astute leadership.

If police prevent the seizure, the protesters warned today, they will take further actions.

Regrettably, their further actions will likely produce more negative visions, that harm movement's public image.

[gaelic]

13. Glad they Can Put it to Better Use