FireWorks writes: In September of 2014, the City of Oakland began to make attempts to displace and remove people in public plazas along San Pablo Ave in the wake of the WOSP (West Oakland Specific Plan) being passed. The clamp down by the police on the plazas is thus clearly part of "socially cleansing" the area, while UC Berkeley students mapped out the park and planned where the art would go for a "transition," and city workers erected fences at 32nd and San Pablo ('Triangle Park') and near 21st and San Pablo, across from the Greyhound Station. Then, in December of 2014, as the Ferguson inspired Bay Area uprising was raging, people armed with bolt-cutters took down the fences encircling the park to the cheers of those on the streets. Soon after, people gathered in the plaza on 32nd street to share food and supplies and clean up the area. Wanting to know more about the anti-gentrification struggle and how it connects to the battle against police and white supremacy, we caught up with long-time Oakland organizer and militant, Linda Grant.

FW: Why did people organize to distribute food, supplies, and also clean up the park at 34th and San Pablo several weekends ago after the fence around it was torn down?

Linda Grant: We decided than it was important to support the park because we know there is so much deep African history in that park going as far back as 40 years, some of my family members included. We know that its gentrification that is trying to do its deadly sweep of Oakland and we can’t sit back and watch our African sisters and brothers get booted out their park because of greed and fear. Also, we wanted to show the city that we care about our people as a whole. Cleaning the park and feeding the people is what needs to happen every day.

Read More | The liberation of public parks closed for gentrification in Oakland

Previous Related Indybay Feature: WOSP: Oakland's Proposal for Massive Influx of New West Oakland Residents