Mayor Jean Quan Returns Medical Supplies to Occupy Oakland Camp

Quan can't fix bad press with a bunch of band aids

​Mayor Jean Quan vowed to return all the medical supplies that had been taken during last Tuesday's early morning raid of the Occupy Oakland encampment. Protesters who have been serving at the Occupy Oakland medics warned the mayor over the weekend that they would "occupy" her office today if she didn't give them back their herbs, bandages, and ibuprofen, which were confiscated by police.

"The cops took everything we were using," said Clara Barton, an Oakland RN. "First they lied about sanitary conditions in the camp, then they stop the people who were trying to do something about it."

But because the city didn't want to give protesters one more reason to demonstrate at City Hall, officials this morning returned the supplies, which included thousands of dollars worth of donated equipment,  according to Karen Boyd, a city spokeswoman.

Quan has been in the hot seat since last Tuesday's police raid on the encampment, which was followed by violent clashes between protesters and police in downtown Oakland. Cops doused the area near Broadway and 14 streets with tear gas while tossing flashbang grenades at protesters who had tried to take back their encampment Tuesday night. Aside from sheer chaos, a police projectile injured 24-year-old veteran Scott Olsen, who is now recovering in the hospital from a head injury.

Since then, Quan has been heavily criticized across the nation for signing off on what she has since deemed to be an overreaction. She issued an apology late last week and allowed protesters to reoccupy Frank Ogawa Plaza, where demonstrators pitched tents in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement that started last month.

Still, Occupy Oakland is not satisfied with Quan's apology; the group has called for a citywide strike on Wednesday, asking residents to help shutdown businesses -- at least those that comprise the 1 percent.

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