Protesters fill the streets of the Bay Area
December 10, 2014
Protesters took to the streets this past Sunday to rally up and give voices to the recent victims of police related deaths. They swarmed the corner of Broadway and 14th Street in Oakland with pickets and posters demanding justice for multiple lives.
Many groups joined together for the demonstration of police brutality, including the ANSWER Coalition, who spoke on the behalf of the unacceptable police force. The street corner was decorated with banners up reading “Justice for O’Shane Evans,” and “ A Militarized Police Harms Beloved People.”
The citizens also held up their signs calling for an end to racist killings, and justic against the police.
“The police do not protect and serve us, the only thing they serve us with are warrants, batons, and bullets,” they said.
The group told listeners that the community and streets belong to the people and that racist officers will not shoot anymore of their people. They filled the streets with chants of “Fist Up, Fight Back” before they handed the microphone to Adriana Camerana from Justice For Alex Nieto to name the victims whose families they represent all represent.
Camerana thanked all for coming in to show their support and urged them all to love and support all the causes that arrived. She explained that Alex Nieto, a 28 year old student, was killed by SFPD on March 21 this year with 14 gun shots, 10 of which when he was on the floor, while he was walking out twin peaks park and was racially profiled as a gangbanger. She proceeded to name all the young men who were killed in the recent years in the bay area.
“Please familiarize yourself with their cases, and understand why the injustice is so grave, because of the lies” she said.
She went on to explain that the victims are criminalized so public opinion is swayed for the victims. Since she has been involved with the families and says there is a script for police killings, and to never believe there is a threat that justifies killings.
Justice for Alan Blueford representative Mollie Costello spoke on the importance of supporting all the causes that same out. She informed the attendees that is if up to the movements to get the change going.
“It is our duty to fight, it is our duty to win, and we must love and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our change,” she chanted to the growing audience in a rally before moving the protest to Berkeley street.
Oakland Police Officers were on standby behind the rally with zip tie handcuffs in case the peaceful protest took a turn. More protests grew around the bay area over the week, including three days worth in Berkeley.
Wednesday night, Revcom.us met on the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way at UC Berkeley’s campus. After a few speeches, they took to the streets and stormed down Telegraph Avenue against traffic chanting “Justice for Eric Garner, Justice for Michael Brown.” They proceeded to march around the streets holding up their signs stating “Put an end to the new Jim Crows,” with BPD biking around to stop traffic.
The group marched their way into the dormitory areas, entered the Crossroads dining commons, and even marched down Greek Row changing their chants recruit more walkers. By a few hours the group grew from a few hundred to almost a thousand marchers.
They continued around Berkeley until making their way to the steps of City Hall.
Councilmember Kriss Worthington was present, and berated Berkeley police for using violence on the ralliers the prior day, and will demand an investigation.
The marchers made their way to the 680 Highway, Oakland streets, and Oakland City Hall, with promises from Revcom.us to continue throughout the week.
