On Thursday, May 21st, 2015, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, in response to window breaking during protests the evening of May 1st, promulgated, secretly, new edicts prohibiting night time street protests. These were enforced by Oakland Police that night when Black Lives Matter protesters attempted to take to the streets after a #SayHerName rally remembering Black women killed by police terror.
Forced back onto the sidewalk under threat of arrest, Black Lives Matter organizer Cat Brooks spoke out, saying then and there "We Gonna Take Back These MotherFuckin' Streets!"
Inevitably, the call went out sometime on Saturday for a protest in defiance of this new edict for that very same night. Another protest is already being planned for tonight, Sunday evening, and for Friday, June 5th.
This is how it all came down Saturday night, told below in the tweets and tweetpics from the protest. It is a long story, and destined to get even longer as the week unfolds.
Marchers Gather at OGP Circa 7:30 Before the Attempt to Take the Street. The Plan is to Take the Street at sunset.
Taking the Street!
March Arrived at OPD Headquarters.
One City Councilor joined the protest.
West on 7th St., South on Washington to Jack London.
And Shit Gets Real.
OPD Declares Unlawful Assembly, Uses Flashbang Grenades, Tear Gas.
Civil Disobedience.
First Arrests.
Defiance.
Kettled.
OPD Violating Crowd Control Policy.
Aftermath.
Observations and Reflections.
An excellent, short article on what happened that evening, in the East Bay Express, by Darwin BondGraham.