On the heels of nearly two weeks of protests in the East Bay and San Francisco spurred by the Ferguson grand jury decision, demonstrations escalated when the Eric Garner grand jury decision was announced on December 3 in New York City. Nightly since December 6, hundreds have taken to the streets of Berkeley to protest for justice, shutting down highways along the way, with marches reaching through Oakland and Emeryville as well. California Highway Patrol and Berkeley police have responded aggressively, with hundreds of demonstrators arrested, beaten, and/or injured.

The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild (NLGSF) notes that resources for law enforcement have greatly increased over the past few decades, while accountability and transparency have decreased. The group says justice has been sorely lacking for a string of killings and assaults by police in the Bay Area and beyond, and the impact has been greatest in ​the black community and other ​communities of color.

"There is genuine anger about ​systemic racism and ​a crisis of accountability among law enforcement," said NLGSF Executive Director Carlos Villarreal. "District Attorneys should not waste resources prosecuting protesters while police who kill are left to roam our streets."

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