Thursday, January 08, 2009

Protests over BART shooting turn violent

A taste of the future? One sloppy trigger happy cop ignites a powderkeg of poverty. SFGate web site has some pretty good on-the-spot reporting. Better call for general strikes, then the merchants can join in the fun! I'll look for more. Protests over BART shooting turn violent

1 comment:

AMEN said...

Below is a time line for what occurred yesterday in Oakland in response to state mandated violence.

Breaking News: (Call National Lawyer's Guild At (415) 285-1011 to report arrests and instances of police brutality)
10:45pm 50 people surrounded by police across from the Paramount Theater on Broadway. Many protesters lay down on the ground as police move in and arrest them.

10:00pm Police in gas masks in police cars move in on protesters at 17th and Jackson. Crowd of protesters breaks up and heads in several different directions.

9:50pm Protesters are now moving towards Lake Merit on 17th. More windows are getting smashed. A dumpster near 17th and Franklin is on fire.

9:30pm As Dellums finished talking to the crowd all starting booing and many people chanted "Round 2" and then rushed toward San Pablo Ave. breaking more car windows.

9:20pm Dellums is now addressing a crowd of 200 or so protesters on the steps of City Hall. He tells crowd to be respectful. He says killing was obvious homocide and that he ordered and Oakland investigation. Crowd interrupts much of his speech.

9:00pm Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is now on the scene and walking up 14th St.

towards Broadway looking at the broken windows
8:30pm Two more cars near 14th and Madison are on fire and there have been more arrests
8:10pm Crowd is dispersing.

Windows being smashed in on a McDonald's
8:07pm All cars on one side street have had their windows smashed and an SUV is on fire.

8:00pm A line of police is moving in and pushing the protesters out of the intersection. Many protesters are pushing back and several car windows are being smashed as the crowd moves down 14th Street away from Broadway.

7:45pm Police just ordered the crowd to disperse and have told the crowd that anyone who does not leave the area in 10 minutes will be arrested.

7:40pmDozens of people are still at 14th and Broadway, surrounded by hundreds of police cars and police in riot gear. Several people are lying on the ground in the intersection re-enacting how Oscar Grant was lying when he was shot.

7:10pm: People are blocking Broadway and 14th chanting “We are Oscar Grant”
7:05pm: 50 or so people now marching back up Broadway towards 13th
7:00pm: Most of crowd was dispersed when police moved in (unclear if any arrests occured). Small crowd still gathered and chanting at police at 9th and Broadway.

6:40pm: Police are using tear gas and rubber bullets on crowd. 12 cops on foot and an armored truck chased people on Broadway towards the freeway.

6:35pm: Reports of people jumping on cop car and dumpster on fire near 7th and Madison
6:25pm: Protesters marking towards Lake Merit BART on Oak
6:20pm: Protesters have arrived at the lake on 12th St.

6:00pm: There are 500 people marching down International Boulevard.

4:30pm: The crowd is now reportedly near a thousand strong. Protesters are preparing to march towards International Boulevard and Downtown Oakland.

4:00pm: The crowd has swelled to around 300 people. BART has issued an advisory announcing the closure of the Fruitvale station "due to civil protest." A bus bridge has been established at Coliseum station.

3:30pm: Protest organizers have announced the resignation of the officer responsible for Oscar Grant's death.

3:20pm: According to BART staff, Fruitvale BART gates are still open, but trains are no longer stopping at the station. Alternate routes from Downtown Oakland, Berkeley, or San Leandro include AC Transit Lines 1 and 1R.

3:00pm: Protesters have begun to gather at Fruitvale BART.

11:00am: A memorial service was held at Palma Ceia Baptist Church.