Oaklanders March in Solidarity with Anaheim

Over a hundred people marched in Oakland on Friday evening in solidarity with the people of Anaheim after two members of the Anaheim community were shot to death by police officers last weekend.

On Saturday July 21st, Anaheim police shot and killed 25-year-old Manuel Diaz, who was reportedly unarmed. Hours after the shooting, women and children gathered to protest, and police opened fire on protestors with beanbags and pepper spray, and also released a dog which attacked demonstrators. On Sunday, Anaheim Police shot and killed Joel Acevedo. Protests in Anaheim escalated until Tuesday night, when crowds of over 600 demonstrators marched through the city, breaking windows and lobbing rocks at cops. Police arrested 24 people in Anaheim that evening.

In Oakland today, protestors marched in solidarity, chanting "From Oakland to Anaheim, fuck the police!"

Police Officer shootings have skyrocketed in Oakland this year. Last year, there were five officer-involved shootings in Oakland. This year, there have already been five.

The march paused in front of the Oakland Police Station before making its way to the Warehouse Bar, where off-duty officers are known to drink. Along the side of the bar were photos of four police officers killed by LoVelle Mixon in 2009. The crowd began chatting, "LoVelle Mixon was a hero."

One protestor pulled out a hammer and shattered one of the bar's windows.

Many Oaklanders are still outraged over the police murder of 21-year-old Oscar Grant, who was shot by a transit officer in a crowded BART station on New Year's Day 2009. The transit officer, Johannes Mehserle, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in July 2010, despite publicly released videos showing Mehserle pinning Grant to the ground before shooting him in the back.

Police were present, but hung back from today's protest. No arrests were made.