This is what they did to a chili-eating party. It was not a protest.

"LAPD Bruce Borihanh said, '[We] wouldn't even call them protesters. Police arrested one guy for trying to jump over the fence, three others for other things.' He said he didn't have any more details on the arrests.
'There were no help calls, no field forces were required,' said Borihanh. 'From a police department standpoint, this was nothing big.'"

http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/03/17/31676/surprise-occupy-protest-slaps-downtown-la-possible/

Here is Mr. Bates' superb recollection and photojournal of the entire day:

http://batesimaging.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/occupy-los-angeles-m17-anniversary-festivalqueer-themed-gahrc-action/

They're using brutality on Occupy everywhere to goad us into a response which will justify them using gang initiatives against us. Which makes them the gang.

Edit: Do not miss the follow-up two days later when OLA are again brutalized by LAPD. Currently in placeholder mode as more and more is assembled. Cops screwed up AGAIN:

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/03/m19-cops-brutalize-ola-for-protesting.html

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Los Angeles. Today the cops did all the wrong things so I'm going to focus upon that. What was planned to be a short, joyous, peaceful event (12N to 4PM) was pretty much from the beginning turned into the sort of situation police seem to not be able to stop craving. They created a negative, destructive situation by being negative and destructive.

Our event page said we were leaving at 4PM. Hello? WTF? There was zero need for either police presence or interference. Let us do what we do and that's the end of it. No problems, no difficulties.

Note that just six days earlier, OLA hosted this month's Inter-Occupy event, with guests from multiple SoCal Occupations, and even some rock stars. Completely peaceful, zero problems, dozens and upon dozens of Occupiers. The big difference between Inter-Occupy and M17? Inter-Occupy was held in a public park where there were hundreds of non-Occupiers. People who would SEE the police brutality and tell their friends and families.

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/03/m11-southern-california-inter-occupy.html

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"All four men arrested @occupyLA today got felony charges. At least one for lynching"

"OLA Resources ‏ @OLAResources

One of our arrestees has a fractured arm and needs to be bailed out ASAP. Please donate! #solidaritysunday #ows #OLA http://bit.ly/wzXPqs

Retweeted by #OccupyLA"

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Occupy San Fernando Valley nicely sum up the day:

"Today's 6 month anniversary of Occupy wall street was great. Occupy LA threw a festival to celebrate, Occupy SFV (Edit: And Occupy Long Beach) was there to show solidarity and celebrate along with other occupiers. Things got heated for a while and police made 3 arrest. After occupiers marched to 5th and Wall. Fellow occupiers where being held at that location. After we all marched down to Pershing Square. We waited for 4 drummers to join us there. After we began marching to LA Live. There OLA held their GA. After protesters dressed up in hasmat suits. We then marched to the J.W. Marriot and protested along the sidewalk. We where there proteting the HRC's decision to give an award to the CEO of Goldman Sachs. We held our ground their until about 7. Solidarity with our brothers who where arrested today. Pictures of today's action to come soon."

This sums up the morning, shot by Sam Slovick and assembled by mikeycaldera:

Police were there early. We were polite and friendly and cracked jokes, at first to decent response. Does the one on the right have Captain's bars? Pretty impressive for a chili party.

They came through and talked with us. The policeman with thick black eyeglasses on...those were a spycamera with a lens in the nosepiece, the "bridge" between lenses. Someone pointed this out to me so I got a good look up close, then asked him lightly if that was a camera... So they were covertly recording us from the first moment they showed up. While smiling and joking with us. Build that trust.

And they recorded us again and again. Must have wanted us to grab for the visible camera while the "hidden" spyglass camera would capture anyone who took the bait. In other words, cops were ONLY there to cause trouble. Terrorists hate our freedom.

This officer intentionally pushed past one of us, to the point where I called out was that necessary...attempting to heat us up over injustice, unfairness...well, who then is unjust and unfair? Who is looking for trouble? If you somehow imagine we are a gang or low-level terrorists, why are YOU the ones showing up actively picking a fight? YOU are the gang. YOU are the problem. (See other cops in the distance, where they were grouping.)

Terribly dangerous looking bunch, us. Cop with spyglasses on the far right in front of the white police van.

And they had us remove the American flags planted in the flowerpots, saying they can't be at City Hall.

I do not overlook the obvious irony of American flags not being allowed at City Hall.

They did walk-throughs. First photo by Ulises.

They had us take down the three or so tents we had. Even though it was obviously inclement weather. I believe the laughably-named "Safer Cities Initiative" allows tents to stay up in obviously inclement weather?

They had us clear the locked gate not used on weekends.

And stood there, and recorded us.

And stood there and recorded us (officer spyglasses):

This was pretty much the mood of the thing, no problems:

There was absolutely no need for police, there was absolutely no need to come and pick a fight.

They needed us to take down the tents, we didn't like it but did. That's an awful lot of cops for a tent or two, know what I mean? And officer Spyglasses had his hand on his pistol. There is something terribly wrong in this country.

Arrests: Please note police are blocking the very gates they'd earlier demanded we clear.
Video by jjgiddes

3:07 One Occupier, who was simply grabbed, being rushed into the street by multiple cops.

4:44, "That guy (cop) right there (above, with the plastic-covered hat and camera) was pushing people from the very beginning..." I certainly saw him shove into and past Anthony!

And here are more arrests and ugliness. .
At 0:17 and 0:31, are they hitting him? Bet that doesn't show up in any police reports!
1:45, more police arrive.
2:40, one of us is violently arrested.
4:56 police shove a young lady.
6:32, view of the long, long line of cops. That's a lot of cops, for what? Flags and tents? Or was the vegan chili the terrorist you were after? We genuinely offered you some...

Ulises' photo of a green "less-lethal" shotgun. Same sort of weapon which nearly killed Scott Olsen in Oakland. You brought a shotgun to a chili-eating party. And standing much closer to us than the cop who nearly killed Scott Olsen. Batesimaging.wordpress.com has a few pics of the gunner smiling a twisted grin.

Occupy LA - M17 - After violence, member of media says to cops: 'This is bad, you guys blew it'
(from OccupyFreedomLA's livestream)

Via Sam Slovick:

"LAPD’s Bruce Borihanh’s unfortunate tone on KPCC’s web page is a window into the sentiment of LA law enforcement with regard to young citizens who take their First Amendment rights to the streets; '[We] wouldn’t even call them protesters. Police arrested one guy for trying to jump over the fence, three others for other things.' He said he didn’t have any more details on the arrests. 'There were no help calls, no field forces were required,' said Borihanh. 'From a police department standpoint, this was nothing big.'"

Oh, there WERE calls for help. From us, to be free of you!

(Thanks always to Food Not Bombs for the great stuff! Keep up the excellent work!)

We then tore down and marched to the police station where our friends were being held.

When we got to the police station at 5th and Hall, several local folk had joined us. Cops were lined up in riot gear.

That march ended up at the planned Queer Affinity Group march against the Human Rights Coalition dinner honoring a Goldman Sachs executive...!

Photos by Damon, link to the collection at the end: