A rally to protest excessive force by the Oakland Police Department was held yesterday in Oakland. During the protest, riot gear-clad OPD officers removed by force a public address system which, they said, could not be used without a permit. Photo by Eric Louie, Media Workers Guild.
By Eric Louie, Media Workers Guild
February 7, 2012
Occupy Oakland criticism of police continued Monday, with the daylong rally and march through downtown met with counter demonstrators.
Unlike past demonstrations, which have grown because of recent events, Monday’s event included a group called Stand for Oakland. The group, which includes some city council members, are upset with demonstrators over vandalism and fights with police.
Still, most of the couple hundred attending directed the energy against cops. The event came after the Jan. 28 Move-In Day in which demonstrators tried taking over the vacant Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center to establish a new headquarters, and clashed with police into the night. The vast majority of the some 400 arrested were at a nearby YMCA. Police say demonstrators tried breaking into the building. Demonstrators said police cornered and brutalized them, and that workers allowed them in to escape. At the end of the night a small group broke into and vandalized city hall.
Monday’s event included marches from Oakland City Hall to the Wiley Manuel Courthouse where a dozen defendants arrested throughout the movement had appearances scheduled. Tensions rose at the plaza as demonstrators gathered at noon for a march back for the afternoon court appointments. With officers in riot gear watching, an officer announced that speakers using a sound system needed a permit. The rally continued, though organizers then announced they were shutting it off. Still, police came in and took the equipment. That drew heckles and taunts from the crowd.
Brian Glasscock, 20, of Oakland, said after getting a receipt from police that though it may be illegal they have used it before without drawing such police response.
“That’s part of our freedom to express ourselves,” Glasscock said. “They don’t even want us talking about the police and their effects on Occupy.”
Only one defendant had an afternoon case. The courtroom, in which unrelated cases were also being held, was packed, with a few dozen others waiting inside. Other than the large crowd and extra officers, the courtroom had the normal solemn demeanor, with other defendants giving no-contest pleas such as for domestic violence. Many did not even know which defendant they were supporting. A few minutes after his appearance, a woman came in to spread the word that the case was over. It was only outside the court that they learned the defendant, who is out on bail during the legal process and had a pre-trial meeting rescheduled, is charged with assault on an officer.
The rally quickly dispersed afterwards, and the plaza was quiet by early evening as downtown workers went on their evening commutes. Meanwhile, Occupy Oakland is holding a forum on police at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave. The city’s Police Citizens’ Police Review Board had been scheduled to discuss police response at Occupy, but that has been postponed. Occupy Oakland also holds weekly marches against the police Saturday nights starting at the plaza.
Laleh Behbehanian, of the Occupy Oakland anti-repression committee, said while the Occupy focus is on economics, police oppression is related.
“What happens to a movement when 400 of your members are arrested in one night,” said Behbehanian, adding the demonstrators escalated their actions after police also did. “It’s difficult to do that work when you’re in a jail cell.”
Behbehanian said of those arrested Jan. 28, a dozen have been charged and also have stay away orders from Frank Ogawa Plaza. The others have not been charged, though prosecutors have a year to file, a sign the charges are weak but which can be a deterrent to more involvement by demonstrators, she said. Others arrested last year have been finding their charges recently filed.
Eric Louie is covering the Occupy movements for The Newspaper Guild-Communication Workers of America, Local 39521.
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