Police used tear gas and sound grenades to disperse hundreds of anti-Wall Street protesters in Oakland, near San Francisco.
The demonstrators scattered before riot police last night, who had earlier arrested scores of protesters and had repeatedly warned them to disperse.
At least one protester fell to the ground, bleeding from the head and unconscious, after being struck by a tear gas canister.
The protesters later regrouped and started hurling eggs at the riot police, who responded by firing paint—balls at them.
Riot police had arrested 85 people early yesterday morning as they cleared the Occupy Oakland tent encampment from a square in front of City Hall.
The protesters had sought to return to the encampment they had occupied for two weeks as part of the growing nationwide demonstrations against alleged corporate greed and government dysfunction.