Oakland Protesters Arrested

Nearly 20 protesters were arrested shortly after 4pm this afternoon, ending a lock-down in the Oakland Federal Building to protest the Israeli occupation of Palestine and U.S. government support.

About noon, eleven activists locked themselves together around columns in the building's rotunda. Around 4pm, police warned people who did not want to be arrested to clear the building. Police and fire officials removed the protesters' arm lock boxes with saws.

The activists were carried or dragged from the building and arrested. Police used pain compliance holds on several of the protesters, and one man sustained an injury from a saw while he was being cut out of a lock box.

Meanwhile, two activists had scaled light posts in front of the building, and remained hanging in climbing harnesses with a large banner for nearly five hours. A fire department ladder truck was brough in to remove the last activist, who was also arrested.