Bricks, pipes thrown from occupied SF building

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 5/1/12 | Marisa Lagos, Nanette Asimov

[SmithL]

Hundreds of protesters took over a vacant building on Turk Street owned by the Archdiocese of San Francisco on Tuesday. One climbed to the roof, threw a brick and struck a man with a video camera standing in the swarm of police and demonstrators below.

Police arrested Jesse Nesbitt, 34, of San Francisco on felony charges of aggravated assault after he ran out the back of the two-story building at 888 Turk St. But they didn't find another man who hurled metal pipes into from an adjacent rooftop.

The Occupy activists had marched from Market Street to the Western Addition on Tuesday afternoon, cutting through a chain link fence and surging into the church's building at the corner of Turk and Gough streets.

Police Chief Greg Suhr said they appeared to be the same group - dressed in black and wearing masks - that had rampaged through the city's Mission District on Monday night smashing windows. "As far as I'm concerned, they're a gang of anarchists, the same as last night," Suhr said.

As evening fell, police estimated that about 200 protesters remained holed up in the building, while dozens outside faced off with police in riot gear, shouting, "Pigs go home!"

Frustrated church officials said that Occupy protesters had already caused $25,000 in damage when they took over the building last month and smashed doors and dry wall.

"We are not the 1 percent. I don't get it," said George Wesolek, spokesman for the archdiocese. "I think it's an indication of how confused the Occupy movement has become in terms of its goals and its focus."

They let them pass

Last month, police let occupiers remain in the building overnight. On Tuesday, officers also let protesters enter the building and kept watch. After the brick- and pipe-throwing, hundreds of police gathered...

[Moltke]

One climbed to the roof, threw a brick and struck a man with a video camera

What a miraculous midair conversion! Throw a brick, strike with a video camera!

[Fixit]

[GOPJ]

I assume this violence will be reported tomorrow on the front page of my local liberal newspaper... /s

[ArmyTeach]

“Tossing a brick off a rooftop” could result in some real damage and/or injury, should be considered intent to do seriously bodily harm or even murder.