NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Police cleared out anti-Wall Street protesters before dawn in at least two other U.S. cities Friday, with one state official saying they didn't have the resources to "baby-sit" demonstrators.
The actions follow police sweeps this week on other protest camps in California and Georgia, with dozens of arrests and tensions at times turning violent. Worry and defiance are growing in other camps across the United States, where protesters face the impatience of government officials and the onset of winter.
A clash in Oakland on Tuesday featured police armed with tear gas and bean bag projectiles, and one protester, an Iraq War veteran, was left with a fractured skull.
Oakland's police chief on Friday defended officers, saying they used what they believed to be the least amount of force possible to protect themselves.
"I am concerned about the injuries to protesters and officers alike; the decision to use any level of force is never taken lightly, and certainly was not in this situation," Interim Chief Howard Jordan wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
The injured veteran, Scott Olsen, was still unable to speak but was interacting with his parents Thursday, doing math equations and otherwise showing signs of "high-level cognitive functioning," said Dr. Alden Harken, chief surgeon at Alameda County Medical Center.
Many Oakland protesters had re-established their camp outside City Hall on Friday and were anticipating an appearance by left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore.
The day began across the country in Nashville, as about 75 state troopers began moving into a government plaza a little after 3 a.m. and arresting 29 protesters.
Hours later in San Diego, police arrested 51 people as officers cleared out demonstrators who occupied a park and plaza and for three weeks. Police declared an unlawful assembly and cited complaints about unsanitary conditions created by human and animal feces, urination, drug use and littering, as well as damage to city property.
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's office approved the roundup of protesters for refusing to comply with a new overnight curfew and permit requirements that were changed about 12 hours before the sweep, Commissioner Bill Gibbons said.
Members of the Occupy Nashville protest group had asked for enhanced protection that the state was unable to provide, he added.
"We don't have the resources to go out and in effect baby-sit protesters," Gibbons said.
Gibbons said the early morning was the least disruptive time to other citizens.
San Diego police Chief William Lansdowne echoed him, saying negotiations with demonstrators had broken down and he decided to launch the police operation at night because there were fewer people around.
San Diego protester Chuck Stemke, 32, said he awoke to a loud noise and looked out of his tent to see hundreds of police marching toward him in the darkness.
"It was very intimidating," he said.
In Nashville, protester Adam Knight, 27, said the group likely would assemble again Friday night on the steps of the plaza, which could mean more arrests.
When asked how long the group would protest, Knight responded, "As long as it has to."
__
Associated Press writers Lucas L. Johnson II in Nashville and Terry Collins in Oakland contributed.
