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Indybay Feature

Group Plans Fruitvale BART Disruption To Protest Grant Death

by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
A group calling itself No Justice No BART (NJNB) has called for a disruption of service Thursday during the afternoon rush hour at the Fruitvale BART Station to further its demands for justice in the death of Hayward resident Oscar Grant.
A group calling itself No Justice No BART (NJNB) has called for a disruption of service Thursday during the afternoon rush hour at the Fruitvale BART Station to further its demands for justice in the death of Hayward resident Oscar Grant.

The 22-year-old Grant was shot and killed by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle as Grant lay unarmed and on his stomach on the Fruitvale BART platform in the early morning hours of New Years Day. Mehserle, who has since resigned from the BART Police Department, has been arrested and charged with murder in the Grant case, and the death has caused a growing protest movement in the East Bay.

NJNB members have been active in many of the protests and meetings in the aftermath of Grant’s death.

On its flyer advertising the disruption, NJNB demands the firing of BART Police Chief Gary Gee as well as the firing of BART Police Officer Tony Pirone, who was seen on a widely distributed video punching Grant in the face shortly before Grant was shot and killed. Last month, in a presentation before the BART Board of Directors announcing plans for the disruption, NJNB organizing committee member Christopher Cantor also called for abolishing the BART Police Force, telling board members that “you’re going to have to [do it] in the end.”

While the group did not specify how it intended the disruption to take place, Cantor told the BART board last month that direct action could take place on the platform, on BART trains, and on the BART tracks.
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by Anonymous
He didn't exactly punch Grant, there was video released from a new angle which displayed that he restrained grant with an open hand rather than a clenched fist. Funny thing is many cops aren't trained to punch with a clenched fist because they can break their fingers, so they're taught to use an open palm strike thats just as nasty. So don't let anyone try to debunk that officers involvement when THEY all should be under investigation for being associated with the entire situation, especially Pirone for threatening grant with a taser and striking him.
by Activist
Don't try to defend the officer for what he did. Assault is an assault open handed or not.
by (A)
see what goes down thursday ;)
by Anonymous
If you read my post you'd understand that I explained why his palm was open and WHY it's no different than a punch with a clenched fist.


Also, waa clearly presents the attitude of a thuggish cop. Don't let anyone lay their hands on you in a violent manner at the shutdown, and if they do EVERYONE should respond with the necessary means to defend themselves.
by Car-Free
Stop disrupting innocent mass transit riders. The last thing we need is more cars on the road or more frustrated mass transit riders. http://LifeAfterTheOilCrash.net - http://CarFree.com - http://EcoCityBuilders.org - http://FreePublicTransit.org - http://ClimateCodeRed.net - Dismantle the Earth-destroying auto-based pavement-suffocating industrial addictions.
by so
if BART detains and shoots passengers in the back, then fails in just about every way to deal with the shooting appropriately, they are to not be held accountable for their abhorrent behavior because they represent a form of mass transit?

c'mon. nice try. we see right through your random google search and ridiculously jargon-heavy attempt to let BART off the hook

you've come here and tried the "don't pick on poor people who don't have cars" angle to discourage this protest, and now the "don't destroy the eco-utopia" angle. what's next?


This is an unstoppable movement meant to disrupt an unstoppable system! People can have their different opinions about disruption of BART Commerce to help squash the police state transit system but as long as things remain the same were not gonna change either. They can try to push and beat us down to stop us but all that would be doing is daring people to act//riot. It's their call if they want to do battle again not ours. We have our job and they have theirs. They’d stay out of it if they knew what was good for them. I'm showing up with protection for my body and head just incase they try to hit me or nock me down with their clubs fucking waste of space they are. Disruption is our only option because the system is not up for any negotiation and you know it too and don't try to lie about that! Don't even kid your self into thinking doing anything but disrupting the inner-workings of the system is going to change the system. You know that hasn’t worked and to say otherwise is bullshit. We've already tried all of that and now it's plan B time. They've had their chance to clean up their act but things never seem to change DO THEY! We have our demands and our plans of action will not change until the BART Police go away and Officer Tony Baloney and Officer Miserably are convicted for the crimes they committed against Oscar Grant and the protesters who arrested are released! Don't be so easy on the system. Don't align your self with the enemy. If there's a revolution you might want to consider being on the people’s side and not the state because when all authority is lost you never know what mob rule might decide to do with you if they find you working on the side of the imposed “Police State”! Wise Up! We are changing this system of brutality and there is nothing that can stop us. More Power to the People and Long Live the Revolution!
by Jim
If you go onto the BART tracks you should be aware of a few things. First, the trains can't stop on a dime. If you jump down in front of a train coming into a station or walk in front of one, it will probably run over you and you will be mangled to death. Also, the third rail is energized at 1000 volts DC. If you touch it and the power is on, you will be electrocuted to death. Both of these things have nothing to do with how the BART board is oppressing the masses, it's simple physics. If you violate the laws of physics the punishment is immediate and brutal, and there is no court of appeal. Once you are dead, you are dead and no number of demonstrations will bring you back. Stay off the track!
by finally
i am happy to see that bart will also have to deal with the repercussions of their actions on a larger level
by Anonymous
I seriously HOPE nobody was planning on or EVEN thinking of walking on the tracks. I do agree that disrupting BART may interfere with the daily lives of some, BUT what are we not to march in the streets because cars want to get by? Not occupy a building because some wont be able to make it to work? Last time I checked someone was killed by the police, and I'm sorry but interrupting a few hours of somebodies daily routine isn't the end of the world. They can join us.
by .
thats what no bizness as usual is about.americans are so addicted to the machine,they think if it stops theyll lose their security. thats just what killer america needs to face
by anonymous
to the people who fear they will be inconvenienced by a bart shut down, you are far more inconvenienced by a police state.
here are some handy alternative's to bart:
ac transit has a bunch of transbay lines and can be taken to get around oakland and berkeley. check out http://www2.actransit.org/main.wu for fares and schedules
casual carpool http://www.ridenow.org/carpool/
bike shuttle: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/shuttle.htm (only $1 each way, runs during rush hours only. scroll to bottom of page for stops and schedule).

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