Occupy anti colonial anti capitalist “F–k Columbus” march results in 22 arrests

Police arrested 22 people during an ‘anti colonial, anti capitalist” “F–k Columbus Day” march in San Francisco. The march, which was advertised over the traditional Bay Area Occupy hashtags on Twitter and streamed on Occupy livestream, is part of a weekend of activities which included a call for a march against Mexican, Canadian,  US embassies worldwide yesterday

The march today began from Justin Herman Plaza shortly before 3 and snaked through the financial district, disrupting traffic as they walked in the streets.  The marchers were attired as a black bloc, dressed in black and carrying black anarchist flags.

As they marched, they vandalized cars, slashing the tires of one car and breaking the window of another. They also smashed a Starbucks window.  About 15 minutes into the march, they began to throw flares and bags of paint with rocks in them at the police who were accompanying the march.

Updated video  We’ve updated the video showing clearer shots of the action. At around :40 you can see a female throwing something at the police following by flipping them off.  Something else is thrown at police at :51 causing one of the cops to have to wipe his eyes. At :54 you can see the paint bomb thrown against the building. 1;21 more paint thrown at police. and at 1:24 they hit a cop pretty hard and all over with a paint bomb. More is thrown at 2:02. Then at 2:06, a cop on bicycle appears to fall over or be knocked over, and is surrounded by marchers. That is when police move in and start making arrests.

You can still see full raw live stream recording here.

According to ABC News, a search of the arrested suspects’ backpacks revealed many were armed with weapons including:  hammers, an ice pick, flares, more bags of paint containing rocks, and other weapons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 22 people were arrested on one or more of the following charges: conspiracy, riot, refusing to obey a lawful order from a peace officer and resisting, delaying and obstructing a peace officer, and assault and battery on a peace officer.

The marchers posted their intentions on Indy Bay calling for a “rowdy march” through the financial district to fight colonialism and capitalism.  In addition they noted it was the 20th anniversary of the first black bloc march disrupting the Columbus Day parade in 1992.

Tomorrow, the group plans to march in Oakland commemorating the  11th anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan.  Their statement accuses the military of having “Kill teams”, American soldiers of atrocities and  “burning hundreds of copies of the Holy Quran”. It calls for American troops to rise up and “start a revolt in your ranks”.  They have also called elsewhere for “autonomous creative disruptions of the Columbus Day parade” tomorrow.

Posters advertising the events and photos (by Steve Rhodes) of action today: