UPDATED Wednesday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m. PT
California Highway Patrol said its officers made 13 arrests while clearing Highway 24 on Tuesday night. The officers faced "rocks, projectiles, and incendiary devices" thrown by the crowd, and a firework was launched at a circling helicopter, CHP said.
The #CHP made 13 arrests after protesters block SR-24 W/B, hurl rocks/projectiles/incendiary devices at officers. #berkeleyprotests— CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) December 10, 2014
Just before midnight, a small group broke off from the rest of the crowd and smashed windows and robbed several nearby stores, including a Safeway, a CVS and a Pak N Save.
As main body moves north small group breaks into Safeway and another group heads elsewhere. #berkeleyprotests #Ferguson— Jonah Owen Lamb (@jonahowenlamb) December 10, 2014
Pak N Save Emeryville trashed and robbed as a group of protesters broke doors, took till drawer. #BerkeleyProtests pic.twitter.com/2TmCKJFwbO— tweetster (@tweetster13) December 10, 2014
UPDATE: #ICantBreathe #berkeleyprotests threw rocks at Bank of America windows & now smashing windows/looting a CVS. pic.twitter.com/sntJA3DAk0— ReallyRick (@TheReallyRick) December 10, 2014
UPDATED 10 p.m. PT: Authorities used tear gas and fired bean bags at protesters who managed to climb onto Highway 24 in Oakland around 9:30 p.m. PT Tuesday night.
Crowd cheers at group of protesters who managed to get to highway 24 #berkeleyprotests pic.twitter.com/fZRRnGco6l— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
Around the same time, Reuters journalist Stephen Lam was doused in pepper spray. This photograph posted on Twitter by Carlos Avila Gonzalez from the San Francisco Chronicle shows the moments after it happened.
Reuters photojournalist Stephen Lam reacts after getting pepper sprayed on the Hwy 24/580 offramp #berkeleyprotests pic.twitter.com/eEyh3vo0qT— CarlosAvilaGonzalez (@CAGisMe) December 10, 2014
The macing allegedly occurred because Lam was not following police orders, witnesses said on Twitter. Witness Geoffrey King said Lam was "okay," but had his camera stolen during the incident by a masked protester.
I just spoke with Stephen Lam. He is okay.— Geoffrey King (@geoffwking) December 10, 2014
Masked protester just stole @stephenlamphoto camera off the ground during #berkeleyprotests on MLK— Jessica Christian (@jachristian) December 10, 2014
He was not the only journalist targeted during the night of protests, with freelance photographer Tim Hussin seeing his camera lens broken by a baton.
Photo of @timhussin's broken lens and the photo he took right before it happened during #berkeleyprotests pic.twitter.com/ecVA2HwWpN— Jessica Christian (@jachristian) December 10, 2014
Police brutality demonstrators, who began their march around 7 p.m. in Berkeley, climbed up a hill near 39th Street in Oakland and broke through a gate to enter the highway, where California Highway Patrol officers threatened to arrest those who did not exit.
The gate used to get into the freeway #berkeleyprotests pic.twitter.com/fyBFSnggmH— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
This wasn't the first time protesters have blocked Highway 24 in recent days and on Monday night, 1,500 protesters shut down the I-80 in both directions.
After the brief encounter with police on the highway, demonstrators marched to Telegraph Avenue, where some moved dumpsters into the street and armored trucks entered carrying more police.
A long line of armored trucks and police vehicles just showed up on Telegraph carrying more officers #berkeleyprotest— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
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Original story: Marchers took to Berkeley's streets once again Tuesday night, continuing days of protests against the Staten Island grand jury decision to not indict a white police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner.
The demonstrators began their rally at City Hall, with at least one calling for the 223 who were arrested Monday night, when roughly 1,500 protesters shut down the I-80 and some smashed windows, to be released and a City Councilman vowing to propose an investigation into ending the use of tear gas. Berkeley authorities have used tear gas and smoke bombs to disperse protesters in recent days.
Council member Worthington says he will propose investigation into ending use of tear gas and racial profiling #berkeleyprotests— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
"I believe the Berkeley PD violated multiple laws," Councilman Kriss Worthington told a crowd of hundreds.
During the I-80 shut down, police used bean bag bullets and batons to clear protesters.
On Tuesday evening, California Highway Patrol armed with batons, guns and zip ties blocked the Telegraph Avenue ramps on and off Highway 24. About 80% of CHP staff was on duty Tuesday night, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, up from 70% Monday night.
Line of CHP armed with batons, guns and zip ties blocks Telegraph on-ramp & off-ramp to highway 24 #berkeleyprotests pic.twitter.com/UjXxPz7XcZ— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
An online crowd-funding effort to pay bail for those arrested by police during the police brutality protests has raised more than $2,000. The Bay Area Anti-Repression Committee, which was originally founded to support Occupy Oakland protesters, set up the bail fund on rally.org.
Those arrested face bails of up to $50,000, and many remain in custody, Ernie Sanchez, assistant chief of the CHP's Golden Gate Division, told the Chronicle.
Earlier Tuesday, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates announced that a City Council meeting slated for Tuesday night had been rescheduled, although he said the change was not due to the expected protest.
Berkeley Mayor and police chief say city council meeting canceled only due to space limitation not planned protest. pic.twitter.com/Ovv9j6aMO1— Laura Anthony (@LauraAnthony7) December 9, 2014
Some protesters came prepared for the worst Tuesday night.
This protester made a makeshift shield from a waste bin #berkeleyprotests #DIY pic.twitter.com/Yw0f4JqG7m— Kimberly Veklerov (@KVeklerov) December 10, 2014
Many were young college students, but not all.
"I live down the street and I saw the police helicopters and was feeling the spirt of the protest." #berkeleyprotest pic.twitter.com/fRuJDeIWXa— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
"Who's streets? Our streets" -march continues down Telegraph towards Oakland #berkeleyprotests pic.twitter.com/ILGGNXPqZG— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
Slogans used during recent nationwide protests, in New York, Chicago, Miami and elsewhere--including a massive demonstration at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn during a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge-- could be heard once again on Berkeley's streets, including "Eric Garner! Michael Brown! Shut it down! Shut it down!" and "The whole damn system is guilty as hell."
As the most recent protests kicked off after the Garner decision, they came as demonstrations for Michael Brown, the unarmed black 18-year-old killed by a white police officer in July in Ferguson, continued to rattle the St. Louis suburb and other cities.
Image projected on the wall of an apartment complex on Telegraph #berkeleyprotests pic.twitter.com/sSMGFYt87q— Patrick Kulp (@PatrickKulp) December 10, 2014
Like other recent chokehold protests in the Bay Area, drums were a common sight.
The protest Tuesday also impacted public transportation. The downtown Berkeley BART station was temporarily closed, but reopened by 8:30 p.m. PT.
Update: BART Station at Downtown Berkeley has Reopened— 511 Bay Area (@511SFBay) December 10, 2014
Capitol Corridor Service at Jack London, Emeryville and Berkeley Suspended Due to Protests. http://t.co/x0d2cXLDWI— 511 Bay Area (@511SFBay) December 10, 2014
On Saturday and Sunday, peaceful protests in Berkeley turned violent, with some breaking windows. On Saturday, at least two Berkeley police officers were injured, one of whom was hit with a large sandbag and authorities used tear gas and smoke bombs.
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