The latest such skirmish came around 11:15 PDT in front of City Hall, where a haze of chemical smoke still hung in the air following several similar clashes at the site over the course of the night.
It was the fifth time in about three hours that police a fired a volley of tear gas to disperse a crowd at the scene where ongoing tension has erupted into conflict throughout the day.
The number of protesters has diminished with each round of gas. About 200 remained late Tuesday, mostly young adults, some riding bicycles, protecting themselves from the noxious fumes with bandanas and scarves wrapped around their faces.
Police have established a presence in a plaza where a predawn raid Tuesday dismantled an encampment of Occupy Wall Street protesters that had dominated the area for more than two weeks.
Authorities removed about 170 demonstrators who had been staying in the area overnight after repeatedly being warned that such a camp was illegal and they faced arrest by remaining. City officials said 97 people were arrested in the morning raid.
The first evening scuffle broke out after several hundred people made their way back to City Hall in an attempt to re-establish a presence in the area of the disbanded camp.
The protesters had gathered at a downtown library, marched toward City Hall and ultimately were met by police officers in riot gear. Several small skirmishes broke out and officers cleared the area by firing tear gas.
The scene has repeated itself several times since. But each time officers move to disperse the crowd, protesters quickly gather again in assemblies that authorities have declared illegal. Tensions rise as protesters edge closer to police line and climax when someone throws a bottle or rock and authorities response with volleys of gas.
Police have denied reports that they used flash bang canisters to help break up the crowds, saying the loud noises came from large firecrackers thrown at police by protesters.
Helicopters scanned the area late Tuesday and scores of officers wearing helmets and carrying clubs patrolled the streets. Fire crews responded to small blazes in trash containers.
Protesters moved about uneasily even as one used a bull horn to express his resolve.
"This movement is more than just the people versus the police," Mario Fernandez said. "It's about the people trying to have their rights to basic services."
He added, "This crowd isn't going anywhere anytime soon."
Acting Police Chief Howard Jordan told reporters at a late night news conference that authorities had no other choice, saying the protesters were throwing rocks and bottles at officers.
"We had to deploy gas to stop the crowd," he said, according to a KCBS report.
City officials say that two officers were injured. At least five protesters were arrested and several others injured in the evening clashes.
Reuters reported that police dispersed the crowd with teargas and what appeared to be a stun grenade.
At Frank Ogawa Plaza, police ordered protesters to move away and they were largely co-operative.
"I'm here because I'm incredibly sad and incredibly angry," said one protester, Samsarah Morgan.
"I'm hoping our city government comes to their senses and stops dealing with us like a fascist state."
Another protester, Jeremy Tully, a 30-year-old internet company worker, accused authorities of using unnecessary force.
"I left work early today to come and stand up against the kind of repression that happened this morning," he said.
City chiefs said they had told protesters last Thursday to cease camping and cooking at the plaza. More warnings were issued on Friday and Monday.
Oakland's mayor, Jean Quan, said in a statement that the city had maintained daily communication with the protesters and thanked those who "peacefully complied with city officials".
She added: "Over the last week it was apparent that neither the demonstrators nor the city could maintain safe or sanitary conditions, or control the ongoing vandalism."
The city said conditions at the plaza had begun to deteriorate by the second week of the protests, with police, fire and medical staff reporting they were denied access to the plaza.
The authorities also said they had received reports of a sexual assault and a severe beating, and that sanitation had worsened a rodent control problem in the plaza, which, officials said, was also being damaged by graffiti, litter and vandalism.
The protest was the Oakland version of the movement launched more than a month ago as Occupy, Wall Street in New York.
The protesters are angry at government bailouts of big banks, persistent high unemployment, and economic inequality in the US. Demonstrations have spread across the nation and overseas, although crowds remain relatively small in most cities.
Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested in New York since the protests began. There have also been numerous arrests in other cities.
In the last week, Chicago police arrested about 130 protesters in Grant Park, the site of President Barack Obama's victory speech on election night in 2008, and another 15 people at a protest in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, police in Atlanta have ordered Occupy Wall Street protesters to leave a park that has been barricaded off since early Wednesday. About 50 protesters have locked their arms and are refusing to leave Woodruff Park, defying orders to vacate or face arrest.
Obama addressed the issue of unrest during a television appearance on Tuesday night.
"Look, people are frustrated," he told Jay Leno. "And that frustration expresses itself in a lot of different ways. It expressed itself in the Tea party, it's expressing itself in Occupy Wall Street … Everybody needs to understand that the American people feel that no one is looking out for them right now."
All about: Occupy, Wall Street, Oakland, New York. Barack Obama,
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