1:01 p.m. PDT
Piggybacking on the anarchist Occupy LA and Occupy Wall Street model, approximately
100 protesters were bused to a residence on Woodstock Rd., trampled the landscape and
repeatedly pounded on the front door. Nobody was home, as the residents had
been tipped off by the financial institution's security department. One source
told The Tribune that several of the protesters have been identified as members
of Organize for America
– President Barack Obama's campaign organization – and the discredited ACORN.
San Marino
police arrived approximately fifteen minutes after the protesters were
delivered by two buses to the residence on Woodstock Rd. and immediately called for
back-up. San Marino Police and Fire Chief John Schaefer said officers were
summoned from South Pasadena,
who arrived to help control the mob, many of whom were conducting interviews
with local news organizations.
Schaefer said that a call was received at the SMPD at 6:04 p.m. indicating
protesters were in the front yard of the home. An officer arrived at 6:11.
According to Schaefer, the officer identified a leader of the protest and told
the leader, a male, to remove the buses from the area. When the leader told the
protesters that the buses had to be removed from the street, they boarded the
buses and left the area. The office cleared the area at 6:54 p.m. after the
disturbance had died down. Other actions taken by the officer during the
forty-four minutes he was at the site are less clear.
Tim Sloan, the owner of the residence told The Tribune today that there was
little damage to the yard and that "some windows were pounded on and some
lights were broken," but there was no further damage to the structure.
"We are OK," Sloan said. "We had enough warning and the family
wasn't there. Nobody was hurt and we have to be more prepared for things like
this. It seems as though the rhetoric right now is against people who are
successful. Especially with banks. It's like we are evil and we have done all
these bad things."
"They were disgruntled Ohio State fans," University of Michigan grad Sloan quipped.
Schaefer said he is "extremely disappointed that the protesters breached
the property and conducted their protest in the front yard of the homeowner.
This is unacceptable and despite the peaceful outcome and the restraint
exercised by our police officers, I would have preferred a more proactive
approach and in the future our officers will act to better protect property and
if necessary arrest protesters who violate the law. The bad part is, the
public's confidence is shaken and people might be saying "are protesters
going to be at my front door? Where are the cops? Why is someone not on the
scene?"
Schaefer also said that although his department had received a cal from bank
security personnel that protesters seemed to be congregating at the corner of
Fair Oaks and Huntington Drive and "could be coming to San Marino,"
police officials were hampered by a large power outage, a report of smoke
emanating from a storm drain on Oak Grove Ave., and a domestic battery incident
that had investigators searching for a possible perpetrator.
Many of the local protests have been bankrolled by the Service Employees
International Union, who boast on the home page of their website; "SEIU
has issued a union-wide endorsement of support for Occupy Wall Street and its message about
shrinking income inequality, investing in public education, and making the rich
pay their fair share in taxes. We're excited to be able to contribute our
union's energy, resources and organizing strength to the resilient
demonstrations that began in downtown Manhattan
more than two weeks ago."
Schaefer said the protesters might come back to San Marino.
"We are looking at this and there are pieces we would like to handle
differently," he said. "There are pieces that are beyond our control,
but they are NOT going to able to break the law and be on people's property."
