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Indybay Feature
Oakland Shuts Down I-880 for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
The back to back caught-on-video police murders of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge on July 5 and Philando Castile in St. Paul on July 6 kicked off a new wave of Black Lives Matter protests across the country. The people of Baton Rouge and St. Paul have been protesting daily since the killings. Solidarity actions have been held in New York, Chicago, Norfolk, Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and numerous other cities. Several freeways have been shut down. Hundreds have been physically attacked and arrested by police. Demonstrations in response to the killings have occurred as far away as London, Berlin, and Amsterdam.
[A thousand fists up for justice in Oscar Grant Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall. Fists up! Fight back! call and response.]
Communities have staged rallies, marches, and vigils across Northern California as well. On July 7, with short notice — angry about the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and OPD's recently exposed widespread corruption — Oaklanders amassed for the largest protest in some time, with around 2000 people marching and shutting down Interstate 880 for over four hours, right in front of Oakland police headquarters.
Despite the blockade of a major transportation artery for perhaps the longest period of time in Bay Area history, rampant defacing of OPD headquarters, and vandalism of several nearby businesses, the number of arrests was relatively low. Police say seven were arrested, one cited and released. The most serious charges included assault on a police officer, vandalism, and attempting to break into a business (Smart & Final on Broadway). Two people were arrested on suspicion of throwing bottles at police.
The NLGSF confirmed with this reporter four misdemeanor arrests and one citation. Two of those bailed out of Santa Rita jail with court dates in August, one was transferred to a nearby county jail on an unrelated matter, and another person arrested on the freeway was released from Rita on Monday night after the District Attorney declined to file charges at the arraignment.
Several protests have been held in San Francisco since July 8, including one the following day that shut down a major onramp to the Bay Bridge. Multiple demonstrations have been held in Santa Cruz and San Jose.
Oakland 880 Shutdown: Reverend Ben McBride Speaks Out from the Freeway (video)
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/07/12/18789072.php
Full Indybay coverage of Northern California Alton Sterling and Philando Castile actions to date
Communities have staged rallies, marches, and vigils across Northern California as well. On July 7, with short notice — angry about the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and OPD's recently exposed widespread corruption — Oaklanders amassed for the largest protest in some time, with around 2000 people marching and shutting down Interstate 880 for over four hours, right in front of Oakland police headquarters.
Despite the blockade of a major transportation artery for perhaps the longest period of time in Bay Area history, rampant defacing of OPD headquarters, and vandalism of several nearby businesses, the number of arrests was relatively low. Police say seven were arrested, one cited and released. The most serious charges included assault on a police officer, vandalism, and attempting to break into a business (Smart & Final on Broadway). Two people were arrested on suspicion of throwing bottles at police.
The NLGSF confirmed with this reporter four misdemeanor arrests and one citation. Two of those bailed out of Santa Rita jail with court dates in August, one was transferred to a nearby county jail on an unrelated matter, and another person arrested on the freeway was released from Rita on Monday night after the District Attorney declined to file charges at the arraignment.
Several protests have been held in San Francisco since July 8, including one the following day that shut down a major onramp to the Bay Bridge. Multiple demonstrations have been held in Santa Cruz and San Jose.
Oakland 880 Shutdown: Reverend Ben McBride Speaks Out from the Freeway (video)
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/07/12/18789072.php
Full Indybay coverage of Northern California Alton Sterling and Philando Castile actions to date
§Our prayer: to break the chains of oppression for all peoples
Demouria Hogg was killed by OPD on June, 6, 2015, as he slept in his car: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/06/18/18773669.php
More information on the Frisco 5 hunger strike: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/05/07/18786205.php
Tur-Ha pauses and notes that Nat Turner probably gave same speech about the criminal, terrorist, predators after us since the dawn of this nation.
White people don't get a cookie for showing up tonight. What are you willing to sacrifice? Break a bone for justice.
They will not give us our rights. We must take them. It's time to shut this city down until all people can live free.
And by 8pm, the crowd headed into the streets, marching down Broadway toward OPD headquarters.
Unlike past demonstrations, Oakland police did not make a line across Broadway in an attempt to prevent protesters from approaching their headquarters at 7th Street. OPD consistently forms that line, even though it is often ineffective, easily pushed through by crowds if the size of a march is large enough. This time police didn't even form their usual inner line around the building itself or in front of the main entrance, as they have almost always done for anti-police demonstrations both large and small.
Note that the divider is graffiti-free at this point.
Demands are issued for Mayor Libby Schaaf and Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley
Frisco 500 is a reference to the recent hunger strike by the Frisco 5 in protest of San Francisco police killings: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/05/07/18786205.php
Alameda County Superior Courthouse on Lake Merritt in the background.
This line met a similar line approaching from the south on northbound lanes, connected on the far side into a wedge, then pushed protesters over toward northbound lanes.
The seventh was the one who was held in Santa Rita until Monday night. Some of those seated here may have gotten up at the last minute. CHP pushed everyone down 6th Street offramp before arrests here began.
880 didn't open to traffic in both directions until after 1am.
Photos of the doors before being boarded up: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/07/08/18788759.php#18788762
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