Occupy Cal encampment cleared from school's Sproul Plaza

Police cleared Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley of about 20 tents set up by Occupy Cal protesters and arrested two people Thursday morning, an official said.

Officers from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the Emeryville, Oakland, Union City and Newark police departments, were involved in the 3:30 a.m. operation, said Lt. Alex Yao, a spokesman for the university’s police department.

“The operation commenced peacefully and without resistance,” Yao said. “The great majority of the demonstrators left voluntarily.”

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Two people voluntarily submitted to arrest for illegal lodging and failure to disperse, he said.

The tents were erected Tuesday night after a large rally was held to protest budget cuts and the distribution of wealth in the United States. The encampment followed a similar one that police cleared last week.

The plaza was being cleaned and readied for normal use, Yao said.

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-- Sam Quinones

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Photo: D.J. App sweeps the Occupy Cal campsite in Sproul Plaza on the campus of UC Berkeley Wednesday. Photo: Beck Diefenbach / Associated Press