Homeless mothers in Oakland, Calif., who were living in a vacant house were forcibly evicted and arrested January 15 by Oakland police accompanied by an armored vehicle. The officers were wearing body armor, carrying assault rifles, and used a battering ram to knock down the door.
The women and their children had been occupying the house since November in a protest that drew attention to gentrification and the lack of affordable housing in the Bay Area. Activists criticized the show of force by law enforcement officers.
The eviction followed an order from Alameda County Superior Court Judge Patrick McKinney on Friday saying the women—who argued that housing is a human right—would have to leave the property within five days.
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