UPDATE: Mercurcy News Is Liveblogging The Latest Developments at Ogawa Plaza
CBS NEWS: The scene was calm but tense early Wednesday as a crowd of hundreds of protesters dwindled to just a few dozen at the site of several clashes between authorities and supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement a night earlier. Police in riot gear stood watch only a few yards away from a group of stalwart demonstrators in the aftermath of skirmishes in front of City Hall that resulted in five volleys of tear gas from police, in blasts that seemed to intensify with each round, over a roughly three-hour stretch of evening scuffles. The conflict began much earlier in the day when police dismantled an encampment of Occupy Wall Street protesters that had dominated a plaza across the street from the government building for more than two weeks. Police fired tear gas and beanbag rounds, clearing out the makeshift city in less than an hour. Hours after nightfall Tuesday evening, protesters had gathered at a downtown library and began marching toward City Hall in an attempt to re-establish a presence in the area of the disbanded camp. They were met by police officers in riot gear. Several small skirmishes broke out and officers cleared the area by firing tear gas. The scene repeated itself several times just a few blocks away in front of the plaza, where police set up behind metal barricades, preventing protesters from gaining access to the site. Tensions would build as protesters edged ever closer to the police line and reach a breaking point with a demonstrator hurling a bottle or rock, prompting police to respond with another round of gas. The chemical haze hung in the air for hours, new blasts clouding the air before the previous fog could dissipate. The number of protesters diminished with each round of tear 
gas. Police estimated that there were roughly 1,000 demonstrators at the first clash following the march, at least one of whom was injured when what appeared to be a tear gas canister hit his head, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone. MORE
THE GUARDIAN: An Iraq war veteran has a fractured skull and brain swelling after allegedly being hit by a police projectile. Scott Olsen is in a “critical condition” in Highland hospital in Oakland, a hospital spokesman confirmed. Olsen, 24, suffered the head injury during protests in Oakland on Tuesday evening. More than 15 people were arrested after a crowd gathered to demonstrate against the police operation to clear two Occupy Oakland camps in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Jay Finneburgh, a photographer who was covering the protest, published pictures of Olsen lying on the ground. “This poor guy was right behind me when he was hit in the head with a police projectile. He went down hard and did not get up,” Finneburgh wrote. MORE
RELATED: “Late last night, Scott Olsen, a former Marine, two-time Iraq war veteran, and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, sustained a skull fracture after being shot in the head with a police projectile while peacefully participating in an Occupy Oakland march. The march began at a downtown library and headed towards City Hall in an effort to reclaim a site—recently cleared by police—that had previously served as an encampment for members of the 99% movement. Scott joined the Marines in 2006, served two-tours in Iraq, and was discharged in 2010. Scott moved to California from Wisconsin and currently works as a systems network administrator in Daly, California. Scott is one of an increasing number of war veterans who are participating in America’s growing Occupy movement. Said Keith Shannon, who deployed with Scott to Iraq, “Scott was marching with the 99% because he felt corporations and banks had too much control over our government, and that they weren’t being held accountable for their role in the economic downturn, which caused so many people to lose their jobs and their homes.” Scott is currently sedated at a local hospital awaiting examination by a neurosurgeon. Iraq Veterans Against the Wars sends their deepest condolences to Scott, his family, and his friends. IVAW also sends their thanks to the brave folks who risked bodily harm to provide care to Scott immediately following the incident.” – Graham Clumpner of Iraq veterans Against the War
FIRST: Cop shoots Iraq vet in the face with tear gas cannister
THEN: Cop throws flash grenade at people attempting to help wounded Iraq vet…
RELATED: Still photos of fallen Iraq vet and flash grenade exploding as people go to his aid
PREVIOUSLY: Kent State
RELATED: Ludicrously tone-deaf response from the Oakland mayor on Facebook
RELATED: The American Civil Liberties Union and National Lawyers’ Guild jointly sent a public records request to the Oakland Police Department seeing an immediate release about their use of force during demonstrations Tuesday. The ACLU and NLG are calling for an end to excessive police force and want a full investigation. MORE
RELATED: During the Tuesday afternoon rally, as about 500 people gathered outside the city’s main library at 14th and Madison streets, organizers announced that police “called the library in anticipation of our gathering and asked them to shut it down. They said no because they know what side they are on.'” The crowd exploded into cheers. MORE
RELATED: The deputy NYPD inspector seen in two different videos appearing to release pepper spray on Wall Street protesters has been transferred to Staten Island, sources told NBC New York. Anthony Bologna, who was previously assigned to Manhattan South, is now a special projects coordinator for the borough’s command. The transfer puts him closer to his home, which is also in Staten Island. He had already been docked 10 vacation days after an internal NYPD review found he violated department standards on pepper spray use during the protest. MORE
PREVIOUSLY: The Ballad Of Tony Baloney
WASHINGTON POST: MTV said it will follow three young people on the front lines of Occupy Wall Street in New York City for an episode of its “True Life” documentary series. The cable network embedded its cameras over a two-week period to capture protesters’ activities and explore what motivates them. The episode is scheduled to air Nov. 5. MORE
RELATED: OccupyHollywood
