[http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-11-18/news/30417940_1_uc-berkeley-sproul-hall-encampment]
Police in riot gear surprised campers with an early-morning raid Thursday on the Occupy Cal encampment in Sproul Plaza, arresting two protesters and removing about 20 tents.
Police surrounded the 40 or so campers at 3:30 a.m. in front of Sproul Hall, UC Berkeley's main administration building, and gave them 10 minutes to grab their gear and go. All but two did.
Alex Kim, 24, an English major, was arrested after he stood in front of police officers and flashed peace signs with both hands.
"We're coming back," said Kim, who confronted officers with his cat on his shoulder. Other protesters took the cat as Kim was being led away.
Mike Porter, 24, who identified himself as an Occupy Oakland member, was arrested without incident after he refused to get up from the stairs leading to Sproul Hall. Both he and Kim were booked into an Alameda County jail in Oakland on suspicion of unlawful assembly and failing to disperse.
Students were caught off guard by the swift and quiet approach of more than 100 officers from UC Berkeley police, the Alameda County Sheriff's Department and police departments in Oakland, Emeryville, Newark and Union City. Their appearance caused a confused scramble, with students grabbing pillows, guitars and bicycles to avoid arrest.
Ian Saxton, 29, a graduate student, tore down his green tent and got out before the police seized the steps.
"This size of force is entirely unnecessary," he said. "Occupy Cal was a justified assembly by the students and community of UC Berkeley. This is what they do to students who exercise their First Amendment right?"
Campus officials had said they would not allow an Occupy encampment in Sproul Plaza like those that have been established in Oakland, San Francisco and other cities. The UC Berkeley protesters pitched their tents Tuesday night, and police regularly warned them through the day Wednesday that the tents had to go.
Unlike confrontations in Sproul Plaza last week in which police jabbed batons in protesters' midsections and dragged demonstrators by the hair, Thursday morning's sweep was peaceful.
"The operation went smoothly, it went peacefully," said UC Berkeley police Lt. Alex Yao. "If the students do return, we encourage them to demonstrate lawfully and peacefully."
After sealing off the administration building steps, officers moved demonstrators to Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue on the southern end of Sproul and closed the plaza. Police reopened it shortly before 7 a.m. after workers and officers hauled away or tore down items from the encampment, which included two pianos, picnic benches and a 6-foot-tall papier-mache dinosaur.
Henry Goldstone, 23, a UC Berkeley student, helped create the "regent-a-saurus" and winced as he watched officers destroy the piece.
"That's art," he said. "The sound of them clanging him in the ribs is killing me."
Goldstone said he was determined to build a bigger one, "with sharper teeth."
Alex Kim with his cat Obi on his shoulder flashes peace signs at police officers. He was one of two protesters arrested after defying an order to vacate the encampment on Sproul Plaza.
Credit: Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle
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