WASHINGTON - Oakland, Calif., residents are cleaning up after a weekend of violent clashes between police and Occupy Wall Street protesters, leading to more than 400 arrests.
The skirmishes shattered the glass from the windows of City Hall and toppled a 100-year-old model of the historic building.
"We do have arrests from City Hall, we also have arrests from the YMCA, as well as arrests that took place in our downtown street area," Oakland Police Dept. Spokeswoman Johanna Watson said.
Some of the Occupy protesters claimed they were the victims of police brutality, for no apparent reason.
"They tear gassed us multiple times today. All we were doing were marching," one protester said.
But police confiscated knives, hammers, tear gas and canisters of smoke, which the protestors were carrying when they marched through the streets of Oakland, stormed the YMCA, and then vandalized City Hall.
Click play for John Jessup's report followed by comments from Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture at the Media Research Center.
One YouTube clip shows demonstrators burning an American flag after marching into City Hall. Oakland's mayor said people are losing patience.
"They tell the rest of the country that they're just victims of police brutality. But if you watch the footage yesterday, they were constantly provoking the police," Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said.
The Occupy movement has lost steam since it started last October in response to what they call corporate greed.
In the nation's capital, Occupy protesters are being forced to alter their strategy.
The National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the parks, said demonstrators are free to protest but they can no longer camp overnight. The park service, after taking heat from GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill, finally decided to enforce its strict no-camping rule.
Despite increased police presence to enforce the rule, these demonstrators remain defiant.
"At this point we're like a virus. And we might leave for the winter, maybe for February, but we'll definitely be back in the spring," one protester vowed.
The District of Columbia has spent more than $1.5 million on public safety for Occupy DC. Occupy Oakland reportedly cost the city about $5 million.