On August 4th, a roving dance party made its way through downtown Oakland behind a large banner that read “Fuck The Permits, F.T.P., Fuck The Police.” The dance-march was in solidarity with the vendors of Art Murmur, a street fair that takes place in downtown Oakland the first Friday of each month. Over the last few months, Art Murmur has grown into a carnivalesque block party, in which Oaklanders have taken over the streets and filled them with art, music, food, dancing, and general revelry. On July 6th, uniformed security officers had informed Art Murmur vendors that anyone without a permit would be ticketed, starting in August. According to a statement on a flyer passed out by demonstrators, “the [permit] process is inaccessible, unaffordable, and there are not enough 'officially sanctioned' spaces to go around.” Many vendors and artists ignored the threat of being ticketed, and set their tables in illegal spaces.

During the roving dance party, as demonstrators passed 19th and Telegraph Ave, a large section of the fence surrounding a former site of Occupy Oakland was pulled down. Many still remember the police raids of Occupy last fall, when protestors were beaten, tear-gassed, and had their belongings destroyed by police. The dance then continued down Telegraph, pausing in front of the Obama Campaign Headquarters, where the windows were smashed.

Occupy Oakland briefly resurfaces, Obama Headquarters Smashed | FTP Street Party @ Art Murmur Communique