guardian.co.uk,
Reuters, Saturday 29 October 2011
 |
| Occupy Oakland protester Scott Olsen is seen lying on the ground. Oakland mayor Jean Quan has apologised for the clash in which he was injured. Photograph: screengrab via YouTube |
Oakland Mayor
Jean Quan, who was booed out of a public square by protesters against economic
inequality on Thursday, apologised for a clash between police and demonstrators
that badly injured Scott Olsen.
Quan, who
has drawn withering criticism for her handling of a confrontation with Occupy
Wall Street protesters, said in a written statement that she had met with Scott
Olsen and his parents and was concerned about his recovery.
Olsen, 24,
was struck in the head during protests in Oakland on Tuesday night and has
become a rallying cry for the protests nationwide.
A spokesman
for Highland General Hospital in Oakland said Olsen remained in fair condition
on Friday, upgraded from critical one day earlier, and was visiting with his
parents.
"I am
deeply saddened about the outcome on Tuesday," Quan said in the statement,
which she also delivered from her office in a videotaped posted online. Shouts
of protesters rallying outside City Hall can be heard in the background of the
video.
"It
was not what anyone hoped for. Ultimately, it was my responsibility, and I
apologise for what happened," she said, concluding: "We can change
America, but we must unite and not divide our city. I hope we can work
together."
The
disturbances in Oakland have made it one of the hubs of the Occupy Wall Street
movement, which began in New York City last month to protest economic
disparities, high unemployment and government bailouts of major banks.
Makeshift
encampments sprouting up in cities across the country have forced local
officials to walk a fine line between allowing peaceful assembly and addressing
concerns about trespassing, noise, sanitation and safety.
Quan
pledged to work with the Occupy Oakland activists but said "we need to
have direct communications between city staff and your representatives."
Quan had
paid a visit late Thursday night to a rally and speakers' forum organised by
protesters at Frank Ogawa Plaza, a public square adjacent to the mayor's office
that has been the fulcrum of demonstrations.
She was
greeted with a hail of angry boos and catcalls and hastily retreated with her
staff back to City Hall, followed by protesters shouting, "Get out, go
home!" and "Resign!"
In her
videotaped statement, Quan said she was "asking" protesters to
refrain from camping overnight in the plaza.
Police
forcibly dismantled the encampment on Tuesday, and protesters were marching to
retake it when Olsen was critically injured in the confrontation with police.
Protest
organisers said the ex-Marine was struck in the head with a tear gas canister
fired by police. City and police officials have not said how they believe Olsen
was hurt but police opened an investigation into the incident.
Protesters
reclaimed the plaza on Wednesday night and police kept their distance.
On Friday,
hundreds of protesters returned again to the square for a rally attended by
documentary filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore, who was loudly
cheered as he addressed the crowd.
"We've
seen the militarisation of our local police departments because Congress has
spent billions to buy them armaments ... even spying systems to prepare them
for what they believe is the inevitable," Moore said. "Sooner or
later the people aren't going to take it anymore."
Organisers
have called for a general strike in Oakland one day next week over what they
called the "brutal and vicious" treatment of protesters there.
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