[Onthebarricades] OAKLAND Uprising and protests, Jan 09

[global resistance roundup]

Unrest in Oakland, California over police murder of unarmed man on train.

Later protests:

Apr 10 - Arrest as protesters disrupt police meeting
Jan 31 - Protest closes BART police station; 9 arrested as killer cop bailed
Jan 12 - March in SF
Jan 15 - Protest, arrests as buildings, cars targeted

Main uprising, January 8th - Mass unrest over racist shooting by BART police






http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/09/BAU516VVM3.DTL

Protester arrested after attack on BART chief
Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, April 10, 2009
________________________________________
(04-09) 14:12 PDT Oakland -- A protester interrupted a BART board 
meeting Thursday when he threw red paint at the transit agency's general 
manager, Dorothy Dugger.

The disruption led to an arrest and prompted BART officials to rethink 
the security at their public meetings.
Witnesses said Gabriel Meyers, 31, of Citrus Heights (Sacramento 
County), had been pacing the room and seemed to grow more agitated 
before he rushed toward Dugger and the deputy general manager and 
spattered them with paint.
Nearly two dozen people came to Thursday's meeting to protest the 
shooting death of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer and demand the 
resignation and firing of Dugger and Police Chief Gary Gee. Protest 
organizers said Meyers was not part of their group.
Meyers was arrested and booked on two counts of battery, one count of 
disrupting a meeting and one count of resisting arrest, Gee said.
After the incident BART board members called for tougher security 
measures at their meetings. One suggestion was to subject the public to 
backpack and bag searches as they enter the chambers. Another was to 
forbid groups from mobbing the speaker's podium.
"We're going to get back control of our meetings," said board President 
Thomas Blalock.






http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/30/MNL715KJPS.DTL

Shooting protest briefly closes BART station
Charles Burress,Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writers
Saturday, January 31, 2009

(01-30) 17:47 PST Oakland --
The 12th Street BART Station in Oakland was shut down for five minutes 
Friday afternoon because of a nearby protest by people angry about the 
shooting of Oscar Grant by BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle.
The few dozen protesters, organized by the advocacy group Act Now to 
Stop War and End Racism, gathered at the county courthouse for 
Mehserle's bail hearing. Protesters carried signs reading "Jail Racist 
Killer Cops" and "Justice for Oscar Grant," and several of them said 
they were angry bail was granted.
The group marched through downtown Oakland, prompting BART to shutter 
the 12th Street Station as a precaution.
The group stopped at a McDonald's parking lot at 14th and Jackson 
streets, and police wearing riot gear told them that if they didn't 
disperse they'd be arrested for unlawful assembly. At some point during 
the protest, police released tear gas to try to break up the group. Five 
juveniles and four adults were arrested for failure to disperse, said 
Oakland police Officer Jeffrey Thomason.
By about 5 p.m., there were far more police officers than protesters.






http://cbs5.com/crime/BART.shooting.protests.2.923419.html

Jan 31, 2009 12:47 pm US/Pacific
9 Arrests In Protest After BART Cop Gets Bail
Court Document Outlines Defense Case (.pdf)
Eye On Blogs: Post Your Comments
Complete BART Shooting Coverage

Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle stands as his attorney 
Michael Rains speaks to the judge during a bail hearing Friday.
CBS

Nine people were arrested in demonstrations Friday evening over a 
judge's decision to set bail for a former Bay Area Rapid Transit police 
officer accused of murder, authorities said.

The protesters left from the courthouse late Friday afternoon after 
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson set bail for 
27-year-old Johannes Mehserle at $3 million, although he did not 
immediately post the bond and remained jailed Saturday.

About 100 protesters held signs that read, "Jail the Killer Cops," and 
"Justice for Oscar Grant" as they blocked traffic and marched down 
Oakland streets. Dozens of police officers in riot gear were also present.

Mehserle is accused of fatally shooting 22-year-old Oscar Grant III, of 
Hayward, on a train platform at Oakland's Fruitvale BART station early 
New Year's Day.

He has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, and his attorney said 
at Friday's bail hearing that he may have mistakenly pulled his service 
pistol instead of a stun gun when firing.

Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason said four juveniles and five 
adults were arrested for failing to disperse in the protests that 
followed the bail hearing.

Additionally, one police vehicle was damaged and officers deployed tear 
gas at Seventh Street and Broadway, Thomason said. Protesters also 
prompted a brief closure of the 12th Street/Oakland City Center BART 
station.

Earlier Friday in court, Mehserle's attorney Michael Rains made the 
argument that Grant's shooting "was a tragic, tragic accident, nothing 
more" and requested bail of $100,000 for his client.

Amateur videos of the incident, widely viewed on TV and the Internet, 
showed the officer standing over Grant as he was lying facedown on the 
train platform and firing one shot into the man's back. Grant died of 
the gunshot wound to his torso.

Rains said that witness accounts indicated Mehserle meant to draw his 
Taser, but instead pulled his pistol. The lawyer blamed inexperience by 
the young officer, who joined the department in March 2007 and passed 
his Taser user certification test on Dec. 3, according to court 
documents filed in support of the bail motion that offered the first 
glimpse at Mehserle's defense.

"The bulk of the discovery, including witness and officer statements, 
seem to indicate that this young officer, who carried a taser for only a 
few shifts prior to this event, may have mistakenly deployed his service 
pistol rather than his taser, thus negating any criminal intent," Rains 
wrote in the filing.

The court documents contained statements from and reports by several 
officers who were on the platform with Mehserle at the time of the 
shooting. The officers who had just pulled several men, including Grant, 
from a BART train after reports of fighting described the scene as 
chaotic and the suspects as "combative in their verbiage and body 
language," the documents said.

As Grant lay on the ground, Mehserle told him to stop resisting and put 
his hands behind his back, according to a statement by BART Officer Tony 
Pirone, who was standing by the man's head. Several witnesses at the 
scene said Grant was refusing to take his arms out from under him.

Then, according to Pirone, Mehserle said: "I'm going to taze him, I'm 
going to taze him. I can't get his arms. He won't give me his arms. His 
hands are going for his waistband."

Mehserle then told Pirone to move, before firing the shot.

Pirone said he didn't know if Grant was armed at the time, but said 
Mehserle told him he had believed Grant may have been.

"Tony, I thought he was going for a gun," Mehserle said, according to 
Pirone's statement. Witnesses told investigators that Mehserle appeared 
shocked after the shooting.

Rain told the judge that prosecutors should have charged his client with 
involuntary manslaughter, not murder.

Deputy District Attorney John Creighton questioned Mehserle's story at 
Friday's hourlong hearing, saying the video of the shooting showed an 
officer losing his control and using lethal force.

The defense's account appears to conflict with prosecutors' contention 
that the video shows Grant already had his hands behind his back when 
Mehserle fired the shot. Creighton also questioned why after the 
shooting, Mehserle told a fellow officer that he thought Grant was armed 
rather than saying he thought he was firing his Taser.

Judge Jacobson said he was required to set bail for non-capital cases 
but chose the high amount because he believed the former officer was a 
flight risk after going to Nevada during the initial investigation. 
Mehserle was arrested Jan. 13 at a home in Douglas County, Nevada.

Jacobson also noted inconsistencies in the defendant's account of the 
shooting.

"He has the willingness to add to the story, to change the story, to 
make up something that's not true to avoid consequences," said Jacobson, 
who imposed a temporary gag order in the case until the next hearing on 
Feb. 10.

The case has outraged many residents and community leaders, prompting a 
number of protests, including some that have turned violent. The crowds 
that had gathered again outside the courthouse Friday chanted that 
Mehserle should remain jailed.

"The family is very, very disappointed," attorney John Burris, who is 
representing Grant's family in a $25 million lawsuit against BART, said 
outside the courthouse. "In a case of this magnitude, it was certainly 
our hope that no bail was set."

Burris said he believed that a big part of the case will rest on video 
footage of the shooting.

"Resisting or not, at the time he was shot he was on his stomach, his 
hands were behind him and he was under control. There was no basis to 
use a Taser, and there was obviously no basis to bring out a deadly 
weapon," Burris said. "This is not an accidental killing."







http://www.ktvu.com/news/18609795/detail.html

Nine Arrested During Noisy BART Shooting Protest
Posted: 10:33 pm PST January 30, 2009Updated: 10:56 pm PST February 1, 2009
OAKLAND, Calif. -- About 100 demonstrators took to the streets of 
Oakland following a protest Friday afternoon at the Rene C. Davidson 
Courthouse on Fallon Street near Lake Merritt.
The group headed for the city hail at 6th Street and Broadway, 
disrupting traffic along the way. Some protesters jumped on the top of 
an AC Transit bus.
Others screamed insults at police. When the crowd reached the 
intersection of 7th Street and Broadway, one protestor smashed the back 
window of an unmarked Oakland Police SUV. Police reacted by tossing 
"flash bang" grenades and using tear gas.
That cause the crowd to temporarily disperse.
A few minutes later they gathered at 14th Street and Broadway and then 
headed back toward the courthouse where just hours earlier a judge had 
set bail for former BART Police Officer Johannes Mesherle at $3 million 
dollars.
Even at that amount, some objected to the idea that Mesherle could be 
released. "Its unfair, its very unfair because if that was him or me or 
anyone out here we would not get bail", said marcher Consuela Patterson.
Officers dressed in riot gear prevented the protestors from reaching the 
courthouse. Police squeezed the crowd along 14th Street between Alice 
and Harrison Streets. Police then announced what was taking place was an 
unlawful gathering. But the protestors stood their ground until officers 
threatened to use tear gas.
The protest finally ended at about 5 p.m. Oakland police say they 
arrested nine people including five adults and four juveniles, all on 
charges of failure to disperse.








http://www.ktvu.com/news/18467698/detail.html

No Arrests During SF Protest Against BART Shooting
Posted: 10:21 pm PST January 12, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO -- There was no report of arrests or injuries during a 
demonstration in San Francisco Monday night, protesting the shooting 
death of Oscar Grant at the hands of a Bay Area Rapid Transit police 
officer on Jan. 1, a San Francisco police spokesman said.
However, San Francisco police Sgt. Wilfred Williams said a small trash 
can was set on fire during the protest and there were small amounts of 
graffiti in the area of Bush, Sansome and New Montgomery streets.
The demonstration started near BART's Civic Center station at about 5 
p.m. and came days after a violent march and protest in Oakland.
At about 6:30 p.m., there were more than 100 protesters near the Powell 
Street BART station, several wearing bandanas over their faces and some 
screaming, "No justice, no peace."
San Francisco police officers on foot and motorcycles accompanied the 
demonstrators, monitoring the protest.
Williams said the demonstration appeared to be over at about 9 p.m.






http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/15/MNK115ADNQ.DTL

18 arrested at Oakland protest of BART killing
Christopher Heredia, Carolyn Jones,Leslie Fulbright, Chronicle Staff Writers
Thursday, January 15, 2009

(01-14) 22:37 PST Oakland -- Protesters hit the streets of downtown 
Oakland on Wednesday evening to speak out about the shooting of an 
unarmed BART passenger a day after a former BART police officer was 
arrested on a murder warrant for the killing.

They marched from City Hall to the Alameda County Administration 
Building in a rally that remained peaceful for more than four hours 
until nearly 8:30 p.m., when a small group of lingering protesters 
turned violent, smashing windows in several businesses and dozens of 
cars as rally organizers pleaded with them to stop. Officials briefly 
closed the 12th and 19th Street BART stations as a precaution and police 
arrested 18 people, mostly for vandalism.
Protesters planned the rally before Tuesday's arrest of former BART 
police Officer Johannes Mehserle to demand action in the officer's 
killing of Oscar Grant. After Mehserle's arrest, organizers decided to 
go ahead with the protest, in part to demand a murder conviction in the 
case.
Police estimated the crowd size during the march at about 1,000; protest 
organizers said there were twice that number.
Organizers with the Coalition Against Police Executions demanded the 
conviction, the resignation of Alameda County District Attorney Tom 
Orloff, the names of all BART officers present at the shooting, the 
creation of a citizen review board for BART and a network of healing 
centers for young people in Oakland.
"Oscar Grant's death will not be swept under the rug. ... We're here to 
turn the switch on so the (district attorney) has no problem seeing the 
facts," Bishop Keith Clark of Word Assembly Church in Oakland said at 
the rally at City Hall.
"We want you to prosecute this officer just like you would any murderer 
of any other youth."
Protesters began gathering at City Hall at about 4 p.m. and listened to 
speeches and pleas for nonviolence from voices as diverse as Oakland 
Mayor Ron Dellums and Oakland rapper Too $hort.
In brief remarks, Dellums asked the assembled crowd to emulate the famed 
Chinese protester of Tiananmen Square, who halted a tank column by 
standing passively in front of it.
"What he did he did without saying a word. He simply said he had had 
enough. Let this day be a loud and profound statement that we came 
together for justice with a passion for peace," Dellums said.
Dellums' comments were met by cheers and a few scattered boos. Too 
$hort's comments echoed the mayor's.
"It would be so sad if this turned out to be violent," he said. "Let's 
do this one right - everyone is watching."
Monitors in orange vests accompanied the marchers down 14th Street as 
they passed closed businesses boarded and shuttered for fear of 
vandalism. They passed David Gombogau, who was standing sentry outside 
his restaurant, Asian Grill.
"I hope everyone remains peaceful," he said, pointing at a window in his 
business that was shattered in last week's protest. "Businesses should 
not be attacked. It's OK for them to be doing this, but we just don't 
want them to attack us."
At the protest, Tiye Jones, 18, an Oakland native on break from Temple 
University, said she takes comfort in Mehserle's arrest but added that 
officials must review police conduct standards and continue the 
investigation into whether other officers acted inappropriately on New 
Year's Day when Grant was shot to death.
"Innocent people are being executed left and right. It's my duty to come 
out and speak against injustice. I take some comfort in the officer's 
arrest, but we have a lot more work to do. More arrests need to happen," 
Jones said.
Police and local businesses worried about the potential for violence 
despite organizers' calls for peace. Just one week earlier, a protest 
that started off peacefully ended violently with 105 people arrested and 
nearly 50 businesses damaged.
Wednesday, the same message boards that spread word about the rally also 
were filled with debate about how the protest should be conducted. Some 
people called for "bringing the ruckus" against what they called 
"legitimate targets" such as McDonalds and Foot Locker. Others called 
for nonviolent demonstration.
Many downtown Oakland employees left work early in anticipation of the 
rally, which began with speeches, Native American drumming and chanting 
and a light police presence.
Police Chief Wayne Tucker said every officer in the city's police 
department was available to monitor the rally, although officials hoped 
that the arrest Tuesday of Mehserle would cool the crowd's tensions.
Denise Geare of Pleasant Hill, an employee of the state attorney general 
who works in Oakland, said as she left her office around 5 p.m. that she 
hoped Mehserle's arrest would prevent a repeat of past vandalism.
"I was at People's Park. I'm all for civil unrest," she said. "But I 
believe there are some people who come out to be part of a violent mob, 
which is unfortunate."
Protesters began to trickle away from City Hall about 7 p.m., closely 
watched by police in riot gear. Tempers flared when a woman accused a 
man of stealing her cell phone; protesters shouted angrily as police 
arrested the accused man.
"It's a complex issue," said Richard Knee, a writer from San Francisco, 
as he watched the tense situation unfold.
"Of course you don't like to see violence, but there are times when 
nonviolence has not worked. It builds and it builds, and eventually it 
bursts forth in some rather unfortunate ways," he said. "Personally, I 
don't like to see it, but sometimes it's just avoidable."
Tension grew later in the evening as a group of about 100 refused to 
obey organizers' calls to go home, staying around 14th and Broadway as 
police reopened streets. Organizers kept the crowd under control, 
pulling protesters off cars and away from windows, until about 8:20.
At that point, a group of several dozen broke away, shattering windows 
in a bus shelter, Wells Fargo Bank and several businesses in the City 
Center Plaza shopping mall.
"There wasn't probably more than 10 people causing all the trouble," 
said Dan Lindheim, Oakland's acting city administrator. "The security 
for the demonstration did a great job, but at a certain point they 
couldn't deal with that. The good news is the police and the 
demonstration worked really well together. The bad news is you can't 
really control people who want to cause trouble and weren't part of the 
demonstration."
At 8:56, the shrinking crowd was milling near Broadway and 13th. 
Baton-wielding police moved in shortly after 9 p.m.
"The city of Oakland is now closed," police announced. "Please go home."
Chronicle staff writers Matthew B. Stannard and Charles Burress 
contributed to this story. E-mail Christopher Heredia at 
cheredia at sfchronicle.com.





http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/16/local/me-bart-shooting16

Oakland shooting protest ends in violence
Some of those protesting the death of Oscar J. Grant III damage 
businesses and cars. A former transit police officer is charged in the case.
By Maria L. La Ganga and Maura Dolan
January 16, 2009
A demonstration outside Oakland City Hall to protest a shooting of an 
unarmed man in the back by a transit police officer ended violently 
after a group began damaging businesses and cars.
Hundreds of people gathered at City Hall on Wednesday and marched to the 
Alameda County Courthouse, shouting, "We will march, we will chant, 
until there's justice for Oscar Grant!" and "I am Oscar Grant!" 
Organizers also called for the resignation of county Dist. Atty. Tom 
Orloff, doubting his ability to successfully prosecute accused police 
officers. Police in riot gear were out in force.
The shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old African American, by a 
27-year-old white officer who recently resigned also sparked a protest a 
week ago that ended in more than 100 arrests and scores of damaged 
buildings and torched cars in downtown Oakland.
Addressing the group on Oak Street between the courthouse and the county 
administration building, Grant's grandfather rejoiced that "they got the 
man who killed my grandson." Oscar Grant Sr. also beseeched the crowd to 
"keep peace."
But despite his plea, the demonstration ended violently after a small 
group splintered off and damaged local businesses and several cars 
parked along the streets.
Johannes Mehserle was arrested Tuesday night in Zephyr Cove, Nev., 
nearly a week after resigning from the Bay Area Rapid Transit District 
police force in the wake of the New Year's Day shooting death of Oscar 
J. Grant III, authorities said Wednesday.
"At this point, what I feel the evidence indicates is an unlawful 
killing done by an intentional act," Orloff said Wednesday in announcing 
a murder charge against Mehserle in the case.
Legal experts said it was rare for an officer to be charged with murder 
in connection with an on-duty shooting, and that convictions are difficult.
Mehserle's attorney, Christopher Miller, said he expected that his 
client would eventually be cleared of the charges arising from "that 
chaotic night."
Mehserle "was a fine young officer with an excellent work history," 
Miller said at a Sacramento news conference, adding that "this case is 
not just about a video."
The shooting occurred two weeks ago, early on New Year's morning. Grant 
and his friends were heading home to the East Bay aboard a BART train 
after celebrating New Year's Eve in San Francisco when a fight broke out 
between two groups of riders. BART police met the train at Oakland's 
Fruitvale station and demanded that passengers disembark.






http://www.ktvu.com/news/18484579/detail.html

Oakland Protest Deteriorates Into More Vandalism
Posted: 9:01 pm PST January 14, 2009Updated: 9:07 am PST January 15, 2009
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland police say 18 people were arrested Wednesday 
night after a largely peaceful protest against the fatal New Year's Day 
BART shooting turned violent as vandals smashed windows throughout the 
City Center area.
Nearly 1,500 people gathered in the plaza in front of Oakland City Hall 
today to protest the shooting death of Oscar Grant III by former Bay 
Area Rapid Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale 
station on Jan. 1.
Attendees began departing shortly after 7 p.m., although a cluster of 
more than 100 people remained at the intersection of Broadway and 14th 
Street in downtown Oakland at about 8:15 p.m., chanting and waving signs.
Police re-opened the intersection to traffic shortly before 8 p.m. 
although crowds remained on each of the four corners. Dozens of people 
walked together down Broadway towards 12th street, disrupting traffic. 
Some individuals walking on the street carried signs that read "Jail All 
Racist Cops."
One man set a small fire in a garbage can on Broadway between 12th and 
13th streets. Additionally, police reported that windows of a Wells 
Fargo bank were smashed in at 12th Street and Broadway. Other windows 
were broken at business in the City Center area.
Police in riot gear responded to the vandalism with tear gas, pursuing 
the individuals responsible for the damage and arresting 15 people. An 
Oakland police spokesman also said there were three arrests during the 
protest: one for assault and two for possession of Molotov cocktails.
The protest prompted the closure of the 12th Street and 19th Street BART 
station at about 8:30 p.m., BART communications specialist Fred Evans 
said. Trains continued to run through the stations.
Protest monitors wearing orange vests were on the scene throughout the 
evening to diffuse tensions between unruly participants, onlookers and 
police. Monitors said they were volunteering on behalf of the groups 
that organized the protests.
"The protest has been quite calm and the organizers did a wonderful job 
controlling the crowd," said Dan Lindheim, Oakland's acting city 
administrator, around 7:30 p.m. His comments referred to the monitors in 
orange vests.
After the rally, Lindheim remained at the intersection of 14th and 
Broadway, monitoring the group. Alongside him were Oakland City Council 
members Desley Brooks and Jean Quan.
Nearby on 17th street, the site of much damage from last week's protest, 
business owner Gretha Hayes said the area was quiet and deserted. 
"Everything's pretty much closed," she said. Hayes said she only stayed 
at her boutique, A Diva's Closet, to catch up on work.
Many store owners closed early to avoid potential vandalism. On 17th 
Street, roughly half the windows in a three-block stretch were boarded 
from last week.
Earlier in the evening, speakers at the rally said they're glad that 
Mehserle, who resigned last week, has been arrested and charged with 
murder for the shooting death of Grant, a 22-year-old Hayward man, when 
Mehserle and other officers responded to reports that two groups of men 
were fighting on a BART train.
But they said they're still keeping a close eye on the legal system so 
that justice is done for Grant's death.
Bishop Keith Clark of the Word Assembly Church in Oakland opened the 
program by saying, "We come seeking justice" and "arrest isn't justice 
but conviction is."
Clark said, "We come knocking on the door of our legal system" and added 
"you must prosecute this man."
However, Clark also asked the protesters to be peaceful, saying, "We ask 
God that you will give us a peaceful protest."
At the rally, Councilwoman Brooks said, "I have no confidence in the 
district attorney and I will watch him every step of the way."
Brooks led a group of dozens of community members who met with Alameda 
County District Attorney Tom Orloff last week to urge that Mehserle be 
prosecuted, She said the charges against Mehserle "should have happened 
two weeks ago."
But Brooks also urged the protesters to remain peaceful, telling the 
crowd, "Let's not give the media the spectacle they want to see."
Dereka Blackmon, the co-founder of Citizens Against Police Executions 
(CAPE) and one of the rally's organizers, said Grant's mother, Wanda 
Johnson sent her greetings and said "have peace in the name of my son."
Blackmon said, "All of the (Grant) family is watching today" to make 
sure that the protest doesn't become violent, as did a protest last week.
Blackmon said, "There are Oscar Grants all over the country" who have 
been shot and killed by police officers and said there are similar 
protests in 15 other cities across the country today.
"Let Oscar Grant be the beginning of the end of police brutality," she said.
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, who was booed by a small number of people in 
the crowd, said, "Let's come together to bring real change because 
thousands of young people of color across the country are dying."
Dellums told the crowd, "Change is necessary and you have that power."
Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker, chief of staff Sgt. Michael Poirier 
and police spokesman Jeff Thomason were among many police officers who 
watched the speeches outside City Hall. Police did not immediately 
confirm whether anyone was arrested during the evening.
After the speeches ended, protesters marched down 14th Street toward the 
plaza in front of the Alameda County Administration Building, which is 
located on Oak Street between 12th and 13th streets near Lake Merritt.
Oakland police officers and Alameda County Sheriff's deputies were in 
riot gear to guard buildings in the area.








http://www.roguegovernment.com/index.php?news_id=13678

Protesters: Oakland Shooting A Modern Day Lynching Published on 
01-09-2009 Email To Friend Print Version

Source: Raw Story
Following Wednesday's riot in Oakland, California, which grew out of 
protests over the fatal shooting of a young black man by a transit 
officer, CNN obtained a clip of reactions by several protesters.

"That's not accident," said one young black man. "That's you doing what 
you wanted to do. You're abusing your authority."

"I see it as modern-day racism," began a second. "They killed that young 
black brother..."

"That's a modern-day lynching," others interrupted. "Modern day lynching 
right there."

This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Jan. 9, 2009.






http://rawstory.com/news/2008/BART_cop_shooting_protests_escalate_turn_0108.html

Oakland protests turn violent as victim's mother pleads for peace
Diane Sweet
Published: Thursday January 8, 2009

Angry protests turned to rioting Wednesday night in response to the 
January 1 shooting of an unarmed man at a subway station in California's 
Bay Area.

Police made at least 105 arrests after cars -- including one police 
vehicle -- were vandalized, store windows were smashed, and fires blazed 
out of control on the streets. Approximately 300 stores were damaged in 
the fray, according to published reports.

In response to the violence, "State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San 
Mateo, and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, today announced 
their intent, with the support of San Francisco supervisor and former 
police commissioner David Campos, to author legislation requiring 
greater accountability and public oversight of BART police," reported 
CBS 5 in California.

"Clorox Corp and other businesses in Oakland, California, were sending 
employees home early on Thursday due to fears of more violence," said 
Reuters.

RAW STORY first reported the shooting of Oscar Grant, 22, who was killed 
by a single gun shot to the back after being pulled from a train along 
with some friends amid reports of an altercation on Monday, Jan. 5. 
Johannes Mehserle, identified as the officer who is alleged to have 
fired the fatal shot, has resigned amid alleged death threats.

The attorney for Grant's family, John Burris, said the timing of the 
officer's resignation didn't surprise him.

"He doesn't want to give a statement because BART could've ordered him 
to do so, and if he didn't, he could be terminated."

Wednesday night, the streets turned into 1980s West Beirut after 
protesters left the station area. Thursday, Grant's mother pleaded with 
Oaklanders for peace.

"I am begging the citizens not to use violent tactics, not to be angry," 
said Wanda Johnson, Grant's mother, at a press conference. "You're 
hurting people who have nothing to do with the situation. You're 
vandalizing their property, hurting their cars and breaking their 
windows. Please just stop it, please."

NBC's Bay Area News reports, "The protest Wednesday began peacefully at 
the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit station, but forced the closure of 
that station from about 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. before protesters moved through 
the city. At one point, reporter George Kiriyama was hit in the arm by a 
tear gas can. He explained live on television, 'I've been hit. I've been 
hit.' Kiriyama suffered a bruise to his arm."

One of the protest's organizers, Evan Shamar, blamed others for stirring 
things up.

"He said a group of anarchists, who were not part of the organizations 
hosting the rally, smashed a police vehicle before setting a garbage can 
on fire," the NBC affiliate reported.










[NOTE: This goon admits to seeing cops hitting people for standing their 
ground, trampling a bike, and making hit-and-run raids on the crowd, 
then calls them “restrained”… what a moron]

http://cbs5.com/local/inside.oakland.riot.2.903374.html

Jan 8, 2009 1:38 pm US/Pacific
Inside The Oakland Riot: A First-Hand Account
Eye On Blogs: Post Your Comments, Reactions To Joe's Riot Account
Reporting
Joe Vazquez
OAKLAND (CBS 5) ―
Click to enlarge
The scene as police confront protesters in the streets of Oakland.
CBS
You've heard of a mob mentality. Well, I've just seen it in action.

Wednesday night's riot in Oakland developed quickly like a spark into a 
wildfire, and I was right in the middle of it.

It started with a peaceful demonstration at the Fruitvale BART station. 
Hundreds of demonstrators carried signs, shouted into megaphones and 
voiced their opinions.

Suddenly, a large segment of the crowd started walking off.

"Where are you going?" I shouted, and I got 10 different answers; all of 
them in downtown Oakland. Many just shrugged their shoulders and said 
they were just following.

About 6:15 p.m., the crowd arrived at the Lake Merritt BART station at 
800 Madison. They stopped and seemed confused, as if they were trying to 
understand why they were at a BART station and not BART headquarters.

Suddenly, a protester pointed at a police car. Someone started cursing 
at the officers who were standing behind it. The crowd surged. They 
rolled up a dumpster and set it on fire. It escalated. Someone else 
threw rocks; breaking the windshield. Traffic piled up and officers 
started shouting to the drivers, "Roll up your windows!"

The crowd surged several times. Once, CBS 5 photojournalist Patrick 
Sedillo was trampled. I was right behind him, and grabbed his coat 
before he hit the ground. We ran a short distance for cover.

About 3 dozen officers in riot gear and what appeared to be a SWAT 
armored personnel carrier lined up in formation. Officers fired tear gas 
into the crowd, and they quickly dispersed.

Protesters scrambled everywhere. They tried to regroup at Oakland Police 
Headquarters, but officers chased them off.

They reassembled at 14th and Broadway, near Oakland City Hall.

For the next hour, protesters gathered more and more strength; swelling 
to several hundred. Officers did the same, calling in more 
reinforcements in riot gear.

Demonstrators would occasionally disperse, but then instigators in the 
crowd who appeared to be anarchists called them back.

They wouldn't identify themselves, but those instigators wore bandanas 
on their faces and seemed more intent on provoking confrontations and 
throwing stuff at police than truly having their voices heard.

"Come stand with us," they implored. "Stand up for Oscar Grant!"

The crowd would then return. And they were getting bolder. Some 
protesters screamed just inches from the faces of officers. The cops 
stood still.

Others waved photos of Grant and called the officers "pigs" and 
"murderers." Other demonstrators lay face down with their arms behind 
their backs to demonstrate what Grant was doing when he was shot in the 
back by a BART police officer.

Shortly after 8 p.m., the Oakland Police gave the signal, and they 
slowly marched forward. Most protesters scattered; damaging cars and 
storefront windows on their way. They set trash cans and at least two 
cars on fire.

Glass started raining down. Bottles, trash – anything protesters could 
get their hands on – were flying at officers. They kept marching. 
Officers mechanically stomped over a woman's bike as they chased her 
off. Other protesters who stood their ground were hit with billy clubs.

Occasionally, officers would burst into the crowd to go after the folks 
throwing garbage at police. In a tactical maneuver reminiscent of my 
rugby days, the officers would send four officers sprinting into the 
crowd, tackle the suspected offender, then retreat with the arrestee 
back behind the formation.

Photojournalist Robert Moonan was nearly knocked over several times by 
these surging arrests, but managed to keep his feet and shot some 
amazing footage.

It was shocking to see, but the officers seemed to follow their training 
and were quite restrained, from my perspective.

To sum up the night, it was pandemonium that seemed uncontrolled, 
unplanned and unnecessary. Most of the protesters were not thrilled 
about having their peaceful demonstration thwarted by ugly behavior of a 
few. Seems to me most protesters were just mad. They followed blindly 
and got caught up in the moment.

The anger that spilled into the streets of Oakland was real. But the 
actions of the mob seemed surreal and, in the end, were counterproductive.







http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/oakland-riot-over-killing-of-oscar.html

Jan 8, 2009
Oakland riot over killing of Oscar Grant by BART cop

The recent fatal police shooting of Oscar Grant, a 22 year old 
supermarket worker, was marked by a protest in Oakland on Wednesday. The 
protest began at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland. This is where BART 
police officer, Johannes Mehserle, shot to death 22-year old Oscar Grant 
...story here .... video here.

Desley Brooks, councilwoman for East Oakland, called the shooting "an 
execution."

The protesters expressed outrage at discriminatory policing and 
abuse-of-power on the part of cops who are quick to reach for their 
guns. One protester described the killing of Grant as "a modern lynching."

After nightfall a group of about 200 protesters headed downtown and the 
protest began to heat up, drawing in hundreds of police in riot gear.

A demonstrator, Nia Sykes, said: "I feel like the night is going great. 
I feel like Oakland should make some noise. This is how we need to fight 
back. It's for the murder of a black male."

The anger generated by the conduct of a percentage of US police who act 
more like gangsters than people entrusted to serve and protect, makes it 
surprising that rioting hasn't become a bigger feature of life in 
American cities.

Some property damage occurred during the Oakland protest. When a riot 
breaks out indiscriminate damage usually occurs, it's the nature of a 
riot ... as one supporter of the Oakland protesters put it - "not nice." 
But what is "less nice" are cops who routinely abuse their authority - 
often exercising their power with a way-too-heavy emphasis on 
intimidation and force.

While the killing of Oscar Grant helped to get the demonstrators out, 
they were also reacting to what they perceive as police abuse-of-power 
in general. It's the kind of frustration that builds up when people feel 
the official routes simply don't produce the required results.

It's not only people in places such as Oakland who are pissed off. I 
know of at least one American who said he wouldn't drive in certain 
parts of Texas. He was afraid he might get pulled over and be given "an 
old school beating."

There is something seriously wrong with policing in some jurisdictions 
in the US. As one contact stateside who lives in a certain precinct in 
Louisiana put it - "it's kind of like dealing with the local Gestapo."







http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/09/BAV9156BB5.DTL

Oakland protest ends as police disperse crowds
Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, January 9, 2009

(01-08) 21:19 PST Oakland -- Oakland Police arrested two people tonight 
and dispersed a crowd of about 100 people at a downtown Oakland 
demonstration over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by a BART police 
officer.
The demonstration, which began around 6 p.m., was about half the size of 
Wednesday's, which turned violent as protesters wreaked havoc on downtown.
Tonight, police in riot gear quickly shut down Broadway between 12th and 
16th Streets after protesters began stopping cars and buses and threw 
trash cans into the middle of the street. One woman protested by 
urinating in the middle of the street. Some protesters carried signs 
that read, "No justice, no peace." Others carried candles.
At Walgreens on 14th and Broadway, a protester threw a rock at the 
window. The window remained intact, but the manager came out, locked the 
front door and pulled a metal gate around the door and closed early for 
the night. A Rite-Aid across the street did the same.
By 7:30 p.m. a line of two dozen officers began advancing toward the 
crowd at 14th and Broadway. A bottle was hurled at the officers, who 
told people to move to the sidewalk.
"You all better think twice before you shoot an unarmed man," one man 
yelled as police advanced.






http://www.wbir.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=74044&provider=rss

Protest over Oakland police shooting turns violent
NBC News Updated: 1/9/2009 9:15:45 AM Posted: 1/9/2009 7:52:18 AM
A march protesting the killing of an Oakland, California man on New 
Year's Day turned violent Wednesday evening as a group of marchers 
attacked a police car and lit a dumpster on fire.
An estimated 700 people gathered at the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit 
station Wednesday afternoon to protest the shooting of Oscar Grant III 
by BART police.
Police were forced to respond to the crowd in riot gear after acts of 
vandalism and fires broke out.
At one point a police vehicle trapped in the middle of the crowd was 
jumped on by angry protesters.
As they hit the car with sticks, broke windows and another group of 
protesters pushed a burning dumpster towards the vehicle.
Protest organizers said a group of anarchists, who were not part of the 
original protest, attacked the police cruiser and set the dumpster on fire.
Police could not confirm the report.
Around 8:45 p.m., Mayor Ron Dellums met a group of protesters on 14th 
Street in downtown Oakland.
He spoke with the protesters and marched them down 14th Street towards 
Broadway near city hall.
The mayor asked police to leave the scene and he assured the protesters 
that an investigation was underway and any proper charges would be filed.
Dellums continued to speak with protesters at city hall for more than 30 
minutes, but around 9:35 p.m. Dellums abruptly left the crowd and walk 
into city hall after a disagreement.
The crowd booed the mayor as he walked away.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer who shot and killed Oscar 
Grant III at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland early on New Year's 
Day has resigned.
BART spokesman Jim Allison said Officer Johannes Mehserle's attorney and 
his union representative submitted his letter of resignation at a 
meeting with BART investigators.
BART investigators have urged Mehserle to meet with them and to 
cooperate with the investigation, Allison said.






http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/716712/fatal-police-shooting-sparks-us-protests/?rss=yes

Fatal police shooting sparks US protests
16:31 AEST Fri Jan 9 2009
97 days 1 hour 53 minutes ago

Footage of a US police officer shooting dead a black man in San 
Francisco, have sparked protests.
In grainy mobile-phone videos played over and over on the internet, US 
police officers force an unarmed black man to the ground and hold him 
face-down on a crowded train platform in San Francisco.
Suddenly one of the officers draws his gun and fatally shoots the man in 
the back - then looks up.
The New Year's Day death of 22-year-old Oscar Grant has led to violent 
street protests amid allegations from the family's attorney that some of 
the officers used racial slurs.
The officer remains free and has not been charged with any wrongdoing. 
Some experts have questioned whether he fired his gun deliberately or 
mistakenly believed he was using his stun gun instead.
At a rally on Wednesday attended by hundreds of people, Shawanda Thomas 
held a fluorescent yellow sign that read: "Oscar Grant: Murdered! The 
Whole Damn System is Guilty."
Extra police were posted on Thursday at Bay Area Rapid Transit stations 
after a group of angry demonstrators smashed storefronts late on 
Wednesday, set fire to cars and clashed with officers equipped with riot 
gear and tear gas in downtown Oakland. More than 100 people were 
arrested and about 300 businesses were damaged.
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums called for calm.
"Even with our anger and our pain, let's still address each other with a 
degree of civility and calmness and not make this tragedy an excuse to 
engage in violence," he said.
"I don't want anybody hurt. I don't want anybody killed."
At the mayor's request, the Oakland Police Department launched an 
investigation into the shooting on Thursday.
Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff, whose office also is 
investigating, said he probably would decide within two weeks whether to 
file charges.
Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle was initially placed on paid leave.
He resigned from the BART police force on Wednesday, but officials say 
he has refused to speak with the transit agency's investigators. He has 
not spoken publicly about the incident.
Mehserle's attorney, Christopher Miller, declined to comment on the 
investigations.
Grant's family has filed a $US25 million ($A35.3 million) wrongful-death 
claim against BART, the San Francisco Bay Area's commuter rail system, 
and relatives want Mehserle to be criminally charged.
"They want justice, but they don't want any more violence," said John 
Burris, an attorney for Grant's family.
"That officer hasn't been prosecuted ... That's why people don't have 
confidence in the system right now."
Local African-American leaders expressed outrage on Thursday at the 
shooting. And some Oakland residents have alleged it was racially 
motivated. Burris said he does not have any evidence that Grant was shot 
because he was black.
"There were racial slurs made by other officers to the group that Oscar 
Grant was with, but I have no evidence that this particular officer 
directed racial slurs toward Oscar Grant," Burris said.
BART officials said the agency is trying to conduct a thorough 
investigation, but that the public appears to be making judgments about 
the case based on raw video they saw online or on television.
"They see the answer before them playing out over and over on TV, but we 
have to follow the process and have to turn over evidence to the DA, and 
the DA decides what to do from there," said BART spokesman Linton Johnson.
The shooting unfolded in front of dozens of train passengers who were 
returning home after New Year's Eve celebrations.
Police officers arrived shortly after midnight on New Year's Day at the 
Fruitvale BART station following reports of young men fighting on a 
train. Grant was one of several who were ordered off the train, 
questioned and then restrained by Mehserle and other officers.
Videos shot by onlookers show Grant being pushed onto his stomach 
shortly before Mehserle fired his gun at Grant's back. The bullet 
ricocheted off pavement and pierced his lung, killing him.
The video footage has led to debate over whether the officer knowingly 
shot Grant, as the victim's family alleges.
Reports of police officers mistaking a handgun for a stun gun are rare, 
but not unheard of. In 2006, a sheriff's deputy in Washington state 
accidentally shot and wounded a disturbed man after mistakenly using his 
.40-calibre gun instead of his stun gun.
Bruce Siddle, a use-of-force expert who viewed the video clips, 
theorised that Mehserle was working under stress in a hostile situation 
and did not realise he was firing his pistol.
"I suspect he thought he was reaching for his Taser," said Siddle, 
founder of PPCT Management Systems, an Illinois company that trains 
law-enforcement officers in the use of force.
"If he was under stress, he would not be able to distinguish between a 
Taser and his firearm. You have video footage that seems to suggest that 
this officer made a tragic mistake."
But George Kirkham, a professor of criminology at the Florida State 
University who also viewed the footage, said he finds that hard to 
believe because most Taser stun guns do not look or feel like pistols, 
and the officer fired in a manner consistent with a handgun, not a Taser.
Kirkham, who works as an expert witness in criminal cases, speculated 
the officer fired because he thought he saw something in Grant's 
waistband or pocket that appeared to be a gun or other type of weapon.
"It's not believable that any officer can mix up a Taser and a firearm," 
said Kirkham, who has examined almost 500 police shootings over the past 
30 years.
"It's like looking for your steering wheel on the right side of your car 
rather than the left side."
Outrage over the shooting has been fuelled by raw video clips posted on 
YouTube and various news websites.
Over the past week, video of the shooting has been viewed more than 
500,000 times on the website of KTVU-TV, which has posted exclusive 
clips of the incident, said Bill Murray, who manages the station's website.
That is about twice as many video views as the site typically sees in a 
full month.
"Once a story gets national momentum, people want to come to it," Murray 
said.
"There's always been a certain voyeurism to online video. I think people 
want to see for themselves."






http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=6599577

Fatal Police Shooting Sparks Violent Protests
Videos of fatal police shooting in Oakland, Calif., spark violent 
protests, homicide probe
By TERRY COLLINS and TERENCE CHEA Associated Press Writers
OAKLAND, Calif. January 8, 2009 (AP)
The Associated Press

Police use tear gas to disperse protest over police shooting of an 
unarmed man.
In grainy cell-phone videos played over and over on the Internet, police 
officers force an unarmed black man to the ground and hold him face-down 
on a crowded train platform. Suddenly one of the officers draws his gun 
and fatally shoots the man in the back — then looks up.
The New Year's Day death of 22-year-old Oscar Grant has led to violent 
street protests amid allegations from the family's attorney that some of 
the officers used racial slurs.
The officer remains free and has not been charged with any wrongdoing. 
And some experts have questioned whether he fired his gun deliberately 
or mistakenly believed he was using his stun gun instead.
At a rally Wednesday attended by hundreds of people, Shawanda Thomas 
held a fluorescent yellow sign that read: "Oscar Grant: Murdered! The 
Whole Damn System is Guilty."






http://wbztv.com/national/oakland.BART.shooting.2.902793.html

Jan 8, 2009 7:30 am US/Eastern
Violent Protests After Unarmed Man Shot In Oakland
Eye On Blogs: Comment On This Story
OAKLAND (CBS) ―
Click to enlarge
A vandalized police car sits next to a garbage dumpster set on fire in 
Oakland.

An Oakland protest over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man on a train 
platform by Bay Area Rapid Transit police turned violent Wednesday 
night, with fires set, cars vandalized, and windows smashed - just hours 
after the officer who fired the deadly shot resigned.

Police reported at least 15 arrests had been made in the rioting as of 
late Wednesday night, while Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums urged crowds to 
calm down.

"Even with our anger and our pain, let's still address each other with a 
degree of civility and calmness and not make this tragedy an excuse to 
engage in violence," Dellums said. "I don't want anybody hurt, I don't 
want anybody killed."

Protesters numbering about 400 had gathered at the Fruitvale BART 
station where the shooting occurred for a peaceful rally, and then took 
the streets of Oakland to condemn the incident and call for criminal 
charges against 27-year-old BART police officer Johannes Mehserle.

The protesters temporarily shut down three BART stations in Oakland 
during the evening commute. Then the crowd became violent as protesters 
set a large garbage dumpster on fire and attacked a police car, smashing 
the back window and attempting to overturn it.

Nearly 250 police officers in riot gear fired tear gas at the rowdy 
demonstrators, most of whom ran from the scene while a few stayed and 
threw bottles at officers. Smaller splinter groups of protestors 
continued their raucous march through the Lake Merritt and downtown 
areas - setting more fires, vandalizing vehicles and breaking windows at 
a McDonald's restaurant.

The rioting continued into the late-night hours as police continued 
moving in to shut down some city streets in the hopes of restoring order.

The uproar surrounded the shooting death of 22-year-old Oscar Grant of 
Hayward, who was lying face-down on the Fruitvale station platform when 
he was shot and killed early New Year's Day by Mehserle - one of several 
BART officers responding to reports about groups of men fighting on a 
train.

BART officials said Mehserle was urged to cooperate with a probe into 
the shooting. Mehserle was scheduled to meet with agency investigators 
on Wednesday, but did not show up. His attorney and union representative 
turned in his resignation letter, instead.

John Burris, an Oakland civil rights attorney hired by Grant's family, 
said the timing of the resignation was not a surprise to him: "He 
doesn't want to give a statement because BART could've ordered him to do 
so, and if he didn't, he could be terminated."

Now that he is not employed by BART, Mehserle can exercise his Fifth 
Amendment right against self-incrimination and not speak to investigators.

Mehserle's attorney did not immediately respond to calls for comment 
Wednesday, but BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Mehserle had received 
death threats since the shooting and has moved twice to ensure his safety.

"This shooting is a tragic event in every respect for everyone 
involved," Dorothy Dugger, BART's General Manager said after announcing 
Mehserle's resignation. "We recognize that the family and friends of 
Oscar Grant are in mourning and we extend our condolences."

The shooting case was also under investigation by the Alameda County 
District Attorney's office.

"Emotions around it are 100 percent understandable, but they can't 
determine the decision that is eventually made after an objective 
analysis," Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff told CBS station 
KPIX-TV in San Francisco after a meeting with some of Oakland's 
African-American city leaders.

Orloff said he would not provide a timeline for the investigation by his 
office, indicating that these types of cases usually take weeks.

"I've been telling people in general these things take weeks rather than 
days, but this is one where there's a high degree of interest so I'd 
like to get to a resolution as quickly as I can," Orloff said.

Grant's family has filed a $25 million wrongful death claim against BART 
and also wants prosecutors to file criminal charges against Mehserle.

The shooting incident was captured on video cameras and cell phones by 
multiple train passengers. Some gave their footage to KPIX-TV and other 
media outlets, and the images have sparked an outcry from the community.

"This is an issue of grave concern in our community," said Oakland City 
Councilwoman Desley Brooks, who was among those who met with the D.A. 
"I've not seen anybody handcuffed on their knees begging for their life 
shot before. I would hope that it would be alarming to anybody who saw 
that."

Burris said Wednesday that one of the latest amateur videos of the 
shooting shows that Mehserle did have a Taser on his left side, but he 
went for a gun on his right side, instead.

"The video supports the position we are taking and eyewitnesses' 
testimony that the officer deliberately went for his gun and there's no 
mistake about it," Burris said. "He didn't reach across for his Taser. 
He couldn't have been thinking about that. He went directly for his gun."

However, Burris said he's not optimistic that Orloff will file criminal 
charges against Mehserle, saying that he doesn't know of any occasions 
in which the District Attorney's office has prosecuted a police officer 
for killing someone.

So, Burris said he also planned to send a letter to federal civil rights 
officials asking them to charge Mehserle under federal criminal statutes.

At a City Hall news conference shortly before the protest rally began, 
Dellums had called Grant's death "a tragic moment in our community's 
history."

"Our entire community grieves at the loss of Oscar Grant III," but the 
mayor added, "while the investigation now under way may shed light on 
specific details of the shooting, at the end of the day, establishing 
culpability will not bring back a life tragically lost."

Earlier in the day, about 700 hundred mourners attended a funeral for 
Grant, the father of a 4-year-old girl, at Palma Ceia Baptist Church in 
Hayward.

Sister Donna Smith of the church, said Grant "loved the Bible when he 
was growing up,'' and had the loudest voice in the church choir. The 
Rev. James Word added, "I thought Oscar was going to be a preacher but 
God had other plans.''

Word recalled that Grant, who worked as a butcher at an Oakland grocery 
store, came to his office one day to tell him how happy he was when he 
became an apprentice meat cutter.

The Rev. Ronald Coleman, who presided at the funeral service, said, 
"this is something that the world is watching. They wonder if we will 
start a fight or a civil commotion.''

But Coleman told the audience, "We must respond with prudence. I 
understand that some of you youngsters are upset, but nonetheless we 
have to trust in God. This is not your fight.''

But afterward, the hours-long protest that would turn violent began at 
BART's Fruitvale station, with rally organizer Evan Shamar proclaiming 
that Grant "was executed right here while he was hogtied" and vowed "we 
will not be silent."

There was a loud cheer when Shamar announced to the crowd that Mehserle 
had resigned, but added that he "should be prosecuted for second-degree 
murder."

"We want him charged in an American courtroom," Shamar said as the crowd 
chanted, "No justice, no peace!"

Shamar maintained late Wednesday night that a group of anarchists, who 
were not part of the organizations hosting the protest rally, were 
responsible for igniting the violence.







http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/usworld/news-article.aspx?storyid=127944&provider=rss

Shooting by Officer Sparks Protests in Oakland
Posted By: Cindy Krenek Created: 1/8/2009 11:33:04 AM Updated: 1/8/2009 
4:06:05 PM

OAKLAND, CA (AP) -- Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums urged residents to remain 
calm after protests turned violent in the fatal shooting of an unarmed 
man by a transit police officer.
What had started as a peaceful demonstration Wednesday over the Jan. 1 
shooting of Oscar Grant escalated into trouble. At least three cars were 
set on fire, many other automobiles were damaged, and windows were 
broken on some downtown stores.
Police in riot gear threw tear gas to try to break up the demonstration. 
At least 14 people were arrested before the unrest ebbed overnight.
Grant, 22, was killed on a Bay Area Rapid Transit station platform after 
officers went there amid reports about groups of men fighting on a 
train. He was one of a small group of men taken off the train, and 
officers had made him lie face down at the time he was killed.
The shooting and events leading up to it were captured on amateur videos 
that have been broadcast on television.
Officer Johannes Mehserle resigned from the transit agency shortly 
before he was supposed to be interviewed by investigators Wednesday. 
Mehserle's attorney did not immediately respond to calls for comment 
Wednesday.
Grant's family has filed a $25 million wrongful death claim against BART 
and want prosecutors to file criminal charges against Mehserle.
Dellums went to the protest scene Wednesday night to urge for calm. He 
and several council members then led a group toward City Hall and 
further addressed them.
"Even with our anger and our pain, let's still address each other with a 
degree of civility and calmness and not make this tragedy an excuse to 
engage in violence," Dellums said. "I don't want anybody hurt, I don't 
want anybody killed."
Dellums had directed the city's police department to conduct a third 
investigation into Grant's killing and to treat the incident as a homicide.
During the protest, some people threw bottles, a window of a fast-food 
restaurant and other downtown stores were smashed. Police in riot gear 
threw tear gas to try to break it up.
"The crowd started to become more agitated, more hostile, started 
throwing stuff at the police," Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason 
said. "We gave a dispersal order four to five times over a 20-minute 
period, then we had our officers go in and start making arrests."
Police didn't immediate respond to a request early Thursday for an 
update on the number of arrests.
Organizers of the protest say they have another rally set for later 
Thursday during a BART board meeting.






http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/6570421.html

Protests over police shooting turns violent in U.S. city

14:59, January 08, 2009

Protests over a police officer's fatal shooting of an unarmed black man 
turned violent on Wednesday night in Oakland, local newspapers reported.

Hundreds of protesters took to the street in downtown Oakland, a city 
about 8 miles (13 kilometers) east of San Francisco. They set fire to a 
trash bin and rammed it against a police car, the Oakland Tribune said 
on its website.

The protests were triggered by Johannes Mehserle, a police officer of 
BART, the rapid-transit commuter rail system that serves the San 
Francisco Bay area, who fatally shot 22-year-old Oscar Grant early on 
New Year's Day at an Oakland BART station.

Mehserle resigned on Wednesday, but Sean Dugar, president of the 
California National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 
Youth and College Division, said that was "not enough."

"We demand he be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Dugar was 
quoted by the Oakland Tribune as saying.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the protesters were confronted 
by dozens of police officers, who fired tear gas to break up the 
demonstration.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests, the newspaper said.

Source:Xinhua






http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=52969

BART Shooting Protest Turns Violent in Oakland
Posted By: Jason Kobely 3 months ago

OAKLAND, CA - A crowd on the streets of Oakland turned unruly Wednesday 
night in a demonstration that began peacefully at the Fruitvale Bay Area 
Rapid Transit Station to protest the shooting death of Oscar Grant III 
at the hands of a transit agency police officer.
Evan Shamar, an organizer of the protest, said the police presence was 
"extremely intense" at about 8:15 p.m., adding that officers used tear 
gas in effort to control the crowd.
He said a group of anarchists, that were not part of the organizations 
hosting the rally, smashed a police vehicle before setting a garbage can 
on fire.
Oakland fire Lt. David Brue said firefighters quickly extinguished a 
dumpster fire at 12th and Madison streets around 7 p.m. Another fire was 
later visible at Madison and 16th streets around 8:45 p.m.
Several blocks were closed to traffic in downtown Oakland and the 
windows of a McDonald's restaurant were smashed in at 14th and Jackson 
streets.
Restaurant employees standing inside the McDonald's looked through the 
windows at the unfolding event as a police helicopter hovered above the 
area.
Trash was spread along downtown streets.
The protest began at the Fruitvale BART station earlier today, closing 
that station from about 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., before protesters moved 
through the city. The Lake Merritt station was also closed for about 15 
minutes because of the protest, BART spokesman Jim Allison said.
Allison said the Oakland City Center/12th Street station closed at about 
7:15 p.m. and remained closed at about 8:15 p.m., but BART service is 
not otherwise affected.
Shamar said several arrests were made at the demonstration, but Oakland 
police were not immediately available to comment on the event.
At least 15 people were arrested.
27-year-old BART officer Johannes Mehserle resigned from the transit 
agency shortly before he was supposed to be interviewed by investigators 
Wednesday.
Mehserle is accused of shooting Grant, who was lying face-down on the 
station platform when he was shot and killed early New Year's Day. 
Mehserle was one of several officers responding to reports about groups 
of men fighting on a train.