Undeterred by chilly weather or the Christmas holiday, dozens of antipolice demonstrators marched through downtown Oakland on Thursday evening — some smashing windows of businesses in Jack London Square, throwing bottles, and even tearing ornaments and lights from a large Christmas tree —in the latest round of protests against what they see as police violence toward minorities.
The action on Christmas night, dubbed “No Time Off” by organizers, began around 5 p.m. at Broadway and 14th Street at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and wound down around 7:30 p.m. The protest followed weeks of marches around the Bay Area after grand juries in Missouri and New York opted not to indict white police officers in the killings of unarmed black men.
“We are committed to ending deeply institutional racism in police departments,” said Jessica Karadi, 28, of Richmond, who was among the few protesters willing to speak with the media. Most wanted to express their messages themselves through signs like the one Karadi was carrying: “End the Police State.”
“We’ll not stop marching because it’s Christmas,” she said of the group being trailed by seven police cruisers.
SF Gate via woundedamericanwarrior