Five hundred people gathered in downtown Oakland on Saturday to protest police brutality, racial profiling and stop & frisk; the picture-perfect day contrasting sharply with the grim tales of police abuse told by the families of victims.

It was both a sad and hopeful day. Sad for the obvious reasons yet hopeful because of the coalition we are building and the messages we are sending:

“This slaughter must end!”
“We are not going away!”

The sons and daughters of the parents who fear the most for their soon-to-be-grown sons and daughters took a special role in our march through West Oakland after the rally.

Click here to read the entire essay, including more photographs and video of the rally.