Here is an -email from Zach Seal, president of the Downtown Lake Merritt Neighborhood Group.
Message to the Downtown Oakland Community
RE: Protest Planned for Tomorrow Night
In keeping with our commitment to enhanced communication about public safety issues downtown, the City of Oakland is writing to inform you about a demonstration planned for tomorrow afternoon. Here is a summary of the information we know to date:
* An organization called the Bay Area Revolution Club has applied for a sound permit for a rally on Friday, February 6 at Frank Ogawa Plaza .
* The City of Oakland granted a sound permit between 2 and 5 pm. The organization’s request to march to the Oakland Police Department Administration Building and continue the sound permit until 7 pm was denied.
* The City of Oakland (Mayor Dellums’ Office, Oakland Police Department and Public Works Agency) is working to manage the scope and impact of this event, and we are in communication with the event organizers, who have promised a peaceful rally.
* We believe that a bicycle protest organization called Critical Mass intends to arrive at 14th and Broadway that same evening at 6 pm; they have not requested a permit, nor have the organizers been in touch with the City.
* There will be no street closures associated with the rally, and OPD intends to keep downtown traffic and transportation routes open.
* The City has established an information hotline where callers can receive safety updates from OPD. During business hours, the hotline will provide a live message to callers. After hours, the message will be available in English, Spanish and Chinese. The hotline number is: 444-CITY.
* In addition, OPD has received information that some people are planning to print 1500 pro-riot stickers and plaster them downtown. Please notify your groups that if they see people affixing such stickers, they should call OPD at 9-1-1 or 777-3211.
* According to OPD, on Friday, February 6 and Monday, February 9, at 8:30 am, protesters plan to be at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse at 661 Washington to protest the charging of rioters.
* OPD will have plenty of officers to handle all of these events.
* For information about BART service delays or disruptions, check the BART web site at www.BART.gov, where you can also sign up to receive text message or email alerts.
We recognize that the violence following several well-organized and peaceful demonstrations last month has had a very negative impact on our community’s public safety as well as a significant financial impact.
The City of Oakland is committed to facilitating peaceful protests and ensuring the right to free speech, but as an organization and community we will not allow violence and vandalism in our city.
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2 comments:
If the City of Oakland has any reason to believe that a protest will turn violent, they should require the organization applying for the permit to put up a substantial bond that would be used to reimburse property owners for any damage done during the protest. That way, Oakland taxpayers won't be left holding the bag. But the clowns who were elected, particularly Nancy Nadel, who won with less than 300 votes, aren't responsible. They are lousy, stupid idiots who would be laid off if they were employed by anyone other than the Oakland taxpayers.
I went past the protestors Friday and the city was doing an excellent job of allowing them to speak (1st amendment, remember) while preventing them from interfering with any of the many Friday-night events and attractions getting started at the same time. It was great to see: art murmur, Fox Oakland (yay) with its black clad tattooed music afficionados, Paramount patrons (R&B I think?), bar scene all around, and the slightly old-fashioned berkeleyesque protestors with their attendant retinue of police, plus homeward bound BART commuters. A real diversity of activity and life, and people were not bothering each other. (Except probably the protestors were somewhat troubled by the police.)
Nancy Nadel: not a "clown." "Lousy stupid idiots:" not a helpful kind of remark whether made about friend or foe. First amendment: part of the constitution.
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