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.
Michael Siegel, Oakland civil rights attorney and all-around nice guy, has obtained information from the City of Oakland about police shooting lawsuits that have happened over the past decade and their resolutions.
Here’s a guide to how you, too, can get a cool $1,000,000 (give or take) from the taxpayers of Oakland. Unless you’re already shot dead.
The city of Oakland agreed Tuesday to… pay the family of a man who died after being arrested by Oakland police officers in 2000, a case that a federal appeals court said led to misrepresentations and stonewalling by the Police Department.
Jerry Amaro III, 35, was arrested on suspicion of trying to buy drugs from undercover officers near 73rd Avenue and Holly Street in East Oakland on March 23, 2000. During the arrest, several officers, including now-Capt. Ed Poulson, used excessive force, breaking five of Amaro’s ribs and lacerating his left lung, said the family’s suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
Incident Date: 3/23/2000 Settlement Date: 12/1/2011 The Settlement: $1,700,000
Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan wants a curfew. In the widespread absence of appropriate “parental controls” Jordan says a curfew is critical to reduce the risks posed by teens and younger children hanging out late at night in some of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods. He says he wants to assemble and lead a community-wide effort to get the City Council to pass a curfew ordinance before the end of the calendar year. — Chip Johnson, columnist, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle 8/2/12
There is little factual basis for the idea that curfews have any significant effect on crime or safety. Furthermore, there has been no attempt that I have been able to find to discuss a balance between the restrictions on freedom and the inevitable harassment of young people that curfew laws mandate versus any alleged benefit. Curfew laws seem to exist because adults simply assume they are a good idea, and because police organizations support curfews.
Many curfew laws were imposed in the 1990s before there were any academic studies on curfews. Studies from 1998 to 2003 suggested that there was no measurable benefit to curfew laws. For example
There is no support for the hypothesis that jurisdictions with curfews experience lower crime levels, accelerated youth crime reduction, or lower rates of juvenile violent death than jurisdictions without curfews. (1999)
and
…the evidence does not support the argument that curfews prevent crime and victimization. Juvenile crime and victimization are most likely to remain unchanged after implementation of curfew laws… (2003)
In 2006 (with a 2010 revision) Patrick Kline at UC Berkeley published a paper which suggested that
…being subject to a curfew reduces the number of violent and property crimes committed by juveniles below the curfew age by approximately 10% in the year after enactment, with the effects intensifying substantially in subsequent years for violent crimes.
If any kind of scientific rationale is presented to the Oakland City Council justifying a curfew this would probably be it. However a single paper, when two other studies suggest otherwise, should not make a convincing argument.
Curfews are widespread in the United States. Seventy-eight of the ninty-two largest cities in America have some sort of teenage curfew or another. Many of California’s biggest cities — Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego and San Francisco — have curfews. Given this, it is somewhat surprising that Oakland does not currently have a curfew law. Curfew laws generally restrict anyone below a certain age from being in public places, in vehicles or in ‘establishments’ during certain late-evening and early-morning hours. Restricted hours may differ on weekends from weekdays. Some curfew laws are also in effect during school hours.
“Let me break it down for people who don’t live in Oakland and don’t see the day-to-day effects of OPD on our community.
“To start with, OPD starting salary is ~$74k/year, not including OT, which is more than even city council members make. (More on them later)
“Now, UNLIKE City Council members, OPD officers are not required to live in Oakland. What that means is their salaries LEAVE our community.
“ie: because ((the vast majority of)) OPD does not live in our city, their salaries, which are paid by our taxes, do not get recycled back into the community.
“Not only that, but because OPD does not live in this community, they neither understand it, nor are they accountable to it.
“Because of the lack of understanding and accountability, OPD officers frequently act completely inappropriately.
Oakland Police Officer Hector Jimenez shot 27-year-old Jody Woodfox in the back on July 25, 2008…
Last night was cathartic. There can be no doubt that what happened in Council Chambers last night was an event that will be marked in the history of Occupy Oakland, no matter the horrible press already written and to come. I saw people there I hadn’t seen in months. It reminded all Occupiers that we have far more in common than our differences. It reminded us who the enemy really was.
The fact that the City Council would care to take the time to consider such an ordinance shows us that they have no interest in the pressing problems of Oakland. When the Public Safety Committee morphs into the Police Safety Committee you know that your government has no interest in your well being.
Believe it or not, there are many things the City Council could be doing that could positively affect the well being of its citizens. And none of them have to do with criminalizing the carrying of protest signs attached to sticks thicker than 1/4″.
I spoke last night of how the Council could be addressing one of the most serious revenue problems it has — the draining of the City treasury by the Oakland Police because they continue to shoot people in the back and in the head, gun them down in the street and do everything possible to violate the 1st amendment rights of the population they allegedly protect and serve.
But there are plenty of other things the Council could do that would also have a real affect on the lives of those the police do not necessarily target, those who are just trying to scrape by.
Last night the San Jose City Council considered a measure to raise the minimum wage to $10/hr and index it to inflation, much as the City of San Francisco already has. The San Jose Council was too cowardly to pass it themselves — it will go on the ballot this November. But there is no reason the Oakland City Council should not be passing a similar measure.
Last year, there were more than 1300 foreclosures in Oakland. When a council ordinance speaks of violence perhaps we need to ask which is more violent — someone breaking a bank window or a bank demanding that the sheriffs come and throw a family out onto the street at 6:00 AM ? The Council may or may not be able to legally impose a moratorium on foreclosures in Oakland, but they could certainly create regulations that would make the foreclosure process much harder and more rigorous, while imposing fees and penalties that would make it more costly for banks to foreclose than to negotiate a loan modification.
San Francisco has a program called Healthy San Francisco that guarantees health care for all its residents (as long as they remain within San Francisco’s borders). With the Federal health care law quite possibly about to be declared unconstitutional, why isn’t Oakland’s City Council looking into how to set up a program similar to San Francisco’s for Oakland’s residents, or partner with Healthy San Francisco? What could be more worthwhile than for the Council to set a goal of health care for Oakland’s unemployed and working poor?
These are just three of many things the Oakland City Council could be doing to make the lives of the people it is supposed to represent better. Instead, as thirty-odd very agitated speakers made clear last night, the Council would rather waste its time on the definition of a shield than on creating a society where a job with a decent wage, a home, and health care are human rights.
One of the easiest ways to slant a story is to deliver a warped timeline. Case in point is the Oakland Police Department’s press release about the arrests and actions at the “Fuck the Police” march January 7. Anyone reading the release, who was not present at last night’s action, might believe it was a night of vandalism run amuck and Oakland was one stick of “dynamite” away from tragedy if the police had not stepped in.
“On January 7, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. protesters gathered at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and marched through the downtown streets of Oakland. During the march, protesters broke patrol vehicle windows, vandalized a media van, threw bottles at the police, and lit an object on fire at the intersection of 8th Street and Washington Street.
As of 11:00 p.m., six protesters have been arrested. Offenses ranged from assaulting officers, possession of explosives, resisting/delaying officers, and vandalism. One of the protesters arrested was in possession of an explosive device described as a quarter stick of dynamite.”
Seven Oakland Police Officers stand alongside Walgreens on 14th and Broadway during the rally.
The rally, planned by the Tactical Action Committee, began at 7 p.m. with the first Oakland police officers emerging from the shadows around 7:30 p.m. across the street from Oscar Grant Plaza on 14th and Broadway. Wearing their riot gear at the hip, they stood watching from a distance as people told their stories of police brutality and harassment. When a very small fire (which burnt out in less than a couple of minutes) began on 14th, one officer came over, extinguished part of the fire, and then walked away.
Anyone watching Spencer Mills’ @OakFoSho ustream got a view of the police officers hiding around the plaza, staging for the march to OPD headquarters, schedule for 9 p.m. By the time of the march, the officers were suited up with their riot attire. This is how the police “handle” Occupy Oakland, with force and intimidation tactics. Too often, people brush aside the repeated actions of police brutality and unlawful arrests to have a conversation of the “appropriateness” of the “fuck the police” chant. Which started first: the sentiment or the actions of the police?
“Fuck the Police” can carry negative connotations, and sugar-coating the booming chants of “Kill Cops” and “Fuck the cops, We don’t need them, All we want is total freedom,” isn’t going to clear up those feelings. From the announcement of this action, the discussion from non-approvers of the march has centered around a “PR war” instead of focusing on what the police are actually doing. While public opinion is vital for Occupy Oakland, catering the message for approval by corporate media and bought politicians will not help the people of Oakland.
Going after banks, fighting against school closures, demanding jobs, calling for better public service, fighting for equality, stopping foreclosures…these are all areas that need addressing and are being addressed by Occupy Oakland. The violence oozing from Oakland Police Department is also issue. Discussing bank fraud on Monday and police brutality on Tuesday neither diminishes the weight of the topic nor its overall importance.
One of Occupy Oakland’s strongest points is the openness to autonomous action and diversity of tactics. LHO, an Occupy Oakland supporter, says this approach is what will make the difference.
“Revolution isn’t done with nonviolence and civil disobedience, it’s done with fighting the established order, like physically and violently,” he said. “There’s a difference between reform and revolution. We need it all to happen at the same time. There’s value in nonviolence because what the nonviolence aspect of this movement does is it creates a critical mass with the regular people of the society. And they realize these motherfuckers are talking some real shit, but they’re getting brutalized for doing nothing.”
“When we fight the pigs in the street, if we are all nonviolent we will just get crushed. There has to be some motherfuckers with teeth, there has to be some Black Bloc to throw some shit back at them and there’s value in that. There’s value in both aspects of fighting.”
“As an anarchist, personally, I will not tell anybody whether you should be violent or nonviolent, like whatever strategy you choose for your personal revolution, go with that shit. We need everything.”
OccuBubble aimed to bring a different message, "fuck with the police."
Cue Bubble Bloc.
While some may align themselves with the Black Bloc, last night there was a strong showing of the Bubble Bloc. As part of “occupying joy,” a group suggested that we “fuck with the police” instead. People received free bubbles using them at the plaza and again during the march.
Melvin Kelly, a member of the Occupy Oakland Tactical Action Committee, says the “fuck the police” march will happen every Saturday because “it’s time for the police violence to stop.”
“I’m here with Occupy Oakland to help feed the homeless and make sure people have affordable housing. They’ve been tearing our people up for the last 3 months now, doing hella shady shit, so now we’re revolting, we’re fighting back,” Kelly said. “When people are protesting they been arresting us for stupid shit, so now we’re revolting. We’re not stopping. We are going to do this shit for the rest of our lives.”
From December 21 to January 6, OPD arrested approximately 40 people for taking part in Occupy Oakland actions, sometimes doing nothing more than standing at the plaza. OPD placed City Hall on lockdown over an Occupy Oakland permit issue. Homeless men and women have had their food and blankets confiscated. When police arrive on the scene, they either are in riot gear or have it ready to use. Not to mention, Saturday marked the third year anniversary of the protests against the murder of Oscar Grant. The discussion of how to handle police aggravation occurs daily because the aggravation from the police occurs daily.
People did throw bottles. Anyone watching @OakFoSho ustream heard him yelling at the people throwing the objects, and he wasn’t the only person voicing dissent on that choice of action. Police ran towards the back of the march in response, but stopped short of a full chase. I did not witness any police vehicle windows being broken or any media van being vandalized, and have yet to see proof for those accusations.
Riot cops outside of OPD headquarters.
As for the “dynamite,” time will most likely reveal it a M80 firecracker. Say what you will about the dangers of firecrackers, M80s in particular, but the term firecracker and dynamite are not interchangeable.
When the crowd of at least 150 reached 8th and Washington, one person proposed a sit in, an idea quickly shot down, though some people did sit down. Minutes later, a box was on fire at the intersection. For a clear image: Hold your hands the length of a piece of paper. At one hand stands 60+ riot cops glaring; the other hand is where the fire was burning. Now place in the middle a group of protesters holding an Occupy Oakland banner.
After a tense few minutes, police charge towards the banner and shouts of “Run!” come from all over the crowd. The chase splits the group, with cops kettling 30 – 40 people while the rest run towards the plaza. While turning on Clay or Jefferson (The writer apologizes for not noting street names while being chased by riot cops) officers came from the other direction snatching a person running in the street.
Back on Broadway, five vehicles, two of which were marked as a police vehicle, came to an abrupt stop and at least 10 officers jumped out to give chase to a group of protesters walking back to the plaza.
At the kettle, protesters were sandwiched in between a large group of riot cops and a larger group of riot cops. Officers delivered the typical “unlawful assembly” announcement, giving people the option to leave or face arrest.
A box burns at the intersection of 8th and Washington.
So here’s this writer’s timeline:protesters show up to rally, cops show up. Protesters start marching; police block the roads. Protesters arrive at the jail, approx. 60 riot cops are waiting for them. Protesters reach the next corner approx. 40 riot cops are waiting for them. Protesters continue to march; some take part in starting fires, throwing bottles and other objects, others sit down and hold up peace signs.
March again reaches 8th and Washington, someone starts a fire with approx. 60 riot cops watching. Protesters with a banner move in between the fire and police. Few minutes later, the police charge the crowd. The police give a full chase and kettle protesters. Six are arrested, one requiring medical attention. Protesters chased down Broadway back to the plaza. Officers declare the group of kettled protesters an “unlawful assembly.” Protesters take the option to leave. Police continue to harass protesters all the way to the plaza. Back at the plaza, protesters start small discussions of the march and the actions of police.
The OPD press release is lacking. It’s lacking transparency and concern for the public which it not only serves, but is a member of.
It’s “fuck the police” because the police shouldn’t be chasing protesters. It’s “fuck the police” because the decision of whether or not to protest shouldn’t center around “can you afford to be arrested.” Look at the actions of the Oakland Police Department. Could they have handled things better? Should they handle things better? How are things going to be changed?
Being outraged over people yelling, “fuck the police” when such a police state exists, seems to be missing the issue. Focusing on why people are yelling, “fuck the police” may help find it.
