Nearly three weeks after it began, the Occupy San Diego (OSD) protest against financial corruption and corporate greed was temporarily broken up by San Diego police in the early morning hours of Oct. 28. Rather than putting an end to the local version of a nation-wide movement, however, the raid served to stir up reactions — on both sides of the issue. William Gagan, who has been part of a core group of OSD members that have helped organize the protest since its earliest stages, wasn’t entirely upset by the raid, during which more than 50 adult demonstrators were taken into custody after defying an order to vacate the San Diego Civic Center Plaza and Children’s Park. He was not present at the raid but said in retrospect, the police action was a helpful move. “Our movement was becoming stagnant, but this action draws light to our voice and we will be heard much further away,” Gagan said. “It’s a necessary evil that we knew was going to happen at some point and I’m thankful that today we’re waking up and still have the chance to change things.” According to police officials, about 130 officers along with 50 Sheriff’s deputies, clad in full riot gear, descended upon the two locations at around 2 a.m. as protesters slept. Following an announcement they were assembling illegally and subject to arrest, law enforcement personnel gave protesters an opportunity to gather their belongings and disperse before moving in. Afterward, cleanup crews entered the area to remove and discard tents, tables, signs, provisions, personal belongings and other items left behind by demonstrators. “We are not trying to prevent them from exercising their right to free speech,” said Boyd Long, assistant chief of the SDPD, who said no use of batons, rubber bullets, teargas or pepper spray was employed and only hand force was applied when carrying out arrests. “What we are telling them is that they cannot have tents, occupy public space with their property, sleep in public and say that they’re going to stay there indefinitely.” Long said demonstrators were welcome to return to the Civic Center Plaza to continue protesting peacefully, with the full support and protection of the SDPD, but they could not infringe upon the rights of other San Diegans or violate the law. Using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, protesters were able to regroup quickly. By sunrise on Oct. 28, marches and protests throughout the city had already been planned and assembly begun. Before sunset that evening, an estimated crowd of more than 1,000 people, including demonstrators and supporters, returned to the Civic Center Complex to begin reoccupying the plaza. “We weren’t doing anything wrong. In fact, we were doing a lot right by offering food, medical care and safety to anyone who was with us,” said Jason Brock, a local musician who voluntarily left the plaza before arrests were made. “More than half of those among us are homeless and many of them are young graduates unable to find work. This is one of the problems we are protesting against and we should be working together as a country to fix it.” There is another side to the issue, however — that of those who may be adversely affected, but who are not necessarily the target of the protests. Long said businesses operating in and around the plaza have been affected since demonstrators began occupying the area on Oct. 7. Unruly behavior and unsanitary conditions have driven away customers, he said.  “They’re killing my business,” said Peter Perez of Brooklyn Dogs, a hot dog vendor who has operated in the plaza for the past eight years. “I’m part of the 99 percent too. I’m a small business, not a big corporation.” Perez expressed frustration at the lack of support from local elected officials who he said claimed to be powerless in the situation. Rather than address the protesters, Perez said, they have been hiding in their offices. Perez has reportedly closed down his concession indefinitely. He left no word on when, or if, he will return. A spokesperson for District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer said Faulconer believes freedom of speech is a right fundamental to democracy and he has personally spoken with Occupy demonstrators in front of City Hall and has listened to their public testimony during City Council meetings. Faulconer said he believes the Occupy demonstrators are exercising their right to assemble and the police department is working to enforce the city’s laws. He said his top priority is public safety and he expects the police department to make decisions that are in the public’s best interests. For Brock and some of the protesters, the purpose for the raid ran deeper than simply breaking up illegal lodgers. He pointed to a row of more than 20 homeless people sleeping on the floor alongside a parking lot on Second Avenue across from the Sempra Energy building filled with black and white patrol cars, where police had set up their base of operations and were transporting arrested protesters. “What’s the difference if they’re sleeping here or in the Civic Center?” Brock asked. “This is the SDPD’s way of trying to prove they have the upper hand.”