Otis R. Taylor Jr.:
How much latitude will police in the Bay Area give to anti-Trump protesters?
On the night the world learned the Clown Prince of New York had pulled off the greatest parlor trick in American political history, Democrats weren’t the only ones who realized they had been caught off guard. So had the Oakland Police Department. Protesters swarmed the streets — the first of five consecutive days of protest in Oakland. On the second night, storefronts were vandalized by agitators stealthily creeping within the shadows of protest.
After midnight on Nov. 9, I came upon about 100 people marching down Telegraph Avenue from Berkeley to downtown Oakland without much police presence.
By that time, a protester had been hit by a vehicle near the Claremont Avenue off-ramp on Highway 24. And, because a string of fires had been set between 10th and 27th streets on Telegraph and Broadway, the 12th Street Oakland City Center BART Station had been closed.
Shortly before 3 a.m., the group of 100 stalled at the intersection of Broadway and Eighth Street. Chants of “Not my president” continued to chew at the predawn silence. By then, Oakland’s officers had strapped on their helmets and mobilized, with rings of the nylon riot cuffs dangling from their utility belts.
“We didn’t expect this,” a police officer holding the line told me. “Not tonight.”
Oakland police say they are ready for this weekend’s expected protests — even as another storm system dumps on the miserable heads of Bay Area residents suffering through a walking Ice Bucket Challenge.
“It’s something that we take into consideration, but we’re not going to deviate in the way that we prepare,” said Officer Marco Marquez, a police spokesman, when asked how the soggy weather affects planning. There will be more officers on duty than usual, but Marquez declined to say how many more.
On the night of Nov. 9, the warm, dry weather encouraged an estimated 7,000 people to march against the presidentelect. It was the perfect storm that allowed vandals to smash windows with bricks, rocks and pipes. They also spraypainted sidewalks, walls and doors.
After the November protests, I spoke with several business owners who shared concerns about the demonstrations spiraling out of control. A report from my colleague Trisha Thadani shows there were more than 60 reports of vandalism or broken windows from recent Trump protests.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see some downtown businesses closed and with plywood covering windows, a precaution taken by Floridians who frequently flee hurricanes. Business owners have done it here before. In Oakland, the planned events start at 7 a.m. Friday. And the Women’s March begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.
On Tuesday afternoon, the city sent an email to residents on the anticipated gatherings and demonstrations.
“We’re working together just to ensure the safety of the demonstrators,” said Marquez of the collaboration with the city.
Cool, but what about the business owners, who have to swallow the cost of replacing plate glass windows? Sure, protests are part of our democracy, and clashes between police and protest participants are something to avoid. But the cost of demonstrations shouldn’t be passed on to the stores, bars and restaurants that make downtown Oakland a destination.
At issue is how much latitude should be given to protesters? Should the city direct police to stop the shadowy demonstrators from busting windows? It’s an issue the police and the city can’t ignore, because as the president-elect begins enforcing his agenda, Oakland will respond.
A friend who rents office space on Broadway moved the recycling cart into the building’s lobby and will be working from home. In November, the office cart was one of dozens that was lit on fire.
The burned chunks of melted plastic littered the streets, charring a peaceful message.