Livestream: #OccupyLA Eviction Day...Stay Tuned

By Diane Sweet — November 28, 2011

Update 5:15am PST: Uh-oh. One cop struck someone in the crowd, but after initial shocked gasps, the protesters are remaining firm on their non-violent position. Let's hope that is all we see of violence there at Occupy LA.
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Update 5:00am PST: From the video, police have told protesters that they will not arrest anyone in the park, but anyone who continues to block the street will be arrested, with the deadline for those arrests being now. Most are complying and have returned to the park where the encampment is located.

Police just announced that if members of the media do not get out of the street and into the park that they will be arrested. Large police presence in riot gear, batons out. Situation getting tense, protesters chanting "Protect and serve!"
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Update: 3:40am PST: Via Reuters:

Hundreds of anti-Wall Street activists who faced eviction early Monday from their eight-week-old encampment outside Los Angeles City Hall will be allowed to stay put until at least dawn, a police official said.

But police Commander Andrew Smith said demonstrators who continued to block downtown streets adjacent to the camp would be subject to immediate arrest.

Via Twitter now:

Police tell #OccupyLA protesters to clear encampment within the hour | http://aje.me/tnSVnT

Update 2:00am PST: Changed livestream to better quality version.

Update 1:50am PST: More from Brad Friedman, who is there on the ground in LA:

Cop at #OccupyLA sez "I don't wanna start arresting folks. If ur in park u won't be. Only arrested if in streets." #MixedMessages

Update 1:30am PST: Various Twitter feeds reporting anywhere from 1-3,000 protesters are on the scene tonight to back up those who have been encamped at Occupy LA, and are spilling into the streets.

Also reports - unconfirmed - that the eviction will not happen tonight. Supporters on Twitter seem agreed that this is an attempt to get people to leave, and eviction will happen when there are fewer people around, perhaps later this morning.

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Watching live: The mayor of Los Angeles said that 57 days of Occupy LA was okay, but not 58. This is eviction day, stay tuned...

Most information will have to come in from "Twitter" until actual reports come from the media. I will post the most trustworthy sources I have available.

From Brad Friedman of The Brad Blog:

#OccupyLA Gen. Assmbly speaker reporting bus nearby labeled "Dept. of Homeland Security - Immigration Customs Enforcment". #ows

CBS reports:

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said earlier that the grounds would be closed after the deadline, while Police Chief Charlie Beck promised that arrests would eventually be made if protesters did not comply.

But in a statement issued shortly before midnight, the mayor said police "will allow campers ample time to remove their belongings peacefully and without disruption."

Villaraigosa said police and social workers will walk through the park handing out information on the closure and services available, and expressed hope it would happen in a "spirit of cooperation."

But many including the protest's chief organizers said they had no intention of cooperating, and only a handful of campers cleared out over the weekend.