Politics & Government

Occupy Berkeley Protesters Spend Second Night Camped Downtown

Protesters decided to start a week early after a planning meeting on Saturday outside Bank of America in Downtown Berkeley.

Sunday marked the second night that Occupy Berkeley protesters have spent camping outside of Bank of America in Downtown Berkeley. 

The original "occupation" was scheduled to start next weekend, but after a , a group of protesters decided to start early. Around six people slept at the encampment Saturday night, according to the Berkeley Daily Planet

Following on from , Occupy Berkeley claims to have no leaders. "Everything we do is decided as a group through the General Assembly," an update on the website states. "At this point, we have not appointed a official spokesperson or liason."

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The planning discussion on Saturday was led mostly by UC Berkeley students, according to the Daily Californian.

“We are the people, and we decide when and where to occupy as a group,” UC Berkeley senior Elizabeth Graham told the Daily Cal.

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Despite not having an official permit to occupy the space outside the  until next Saturday, the protesters have been given the support of the Berkeley Police Department to peaceably assemble, the Daily Cal reports.

The group plans to remain camped for anywhere from a week to "a few months" and to hold daily meetings of the general assembly at 6 p.m. for the duration of the protest.

On Sunday afternoon, organizers managing the Occupy Berkeley Twitter feed asked for hot food and "warm bedding" to be brought to the encampment. They also asked for "people willing to stay overnight" to join the protest. 

So far, the sun has been shining on the protesters, who are . But the weather could shift on Monday, with the forecast suggesting a chance rain during the day and into Monday night.

What do you think of the Occupy Berkeley protest? Write a letter to the editor by emailing berkeley@patch.com or share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below.


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