Occupy Oakland on Women's Magazine: One Year of Repression and Resistance

One year ago, hundreds of police in riot gear raided the Oscar Grant Plaza tent city in front of Oakland City Hall. Thousands of demonstrators confronted their teargas and batons, most with peaceful resistance. One year later, over 850 people have been arrested as the state tries to quell the Occupy movement. And the movement also began to fray from within, with Decolonize Oakland splitting over the name "Occupy" and some feeling unwelcome due to male supremacy and racism. Yet while the movement seeks to find its path, the state's interest in repressing it continues to escalate. Laleh Behbehanian is a doctoral candidate at UC Berkeley and a member of Occupy Oakland's Anti-Repression Committee. Tory Becker is a member of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change, LAGAI-Queer Insurrection and Oakland Occupy Patriarchy. They discuss these issues and more with Women's Magazine's Kate Raphael.