Protests erupt in Oakland, San Jose over killing of George Floyd.
Hundreds of people hit the streets in San Jose and Oakland on Friday to protest the policecustody death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a black man who yelled that he couldn’t breathe as a police officer pinned him to the ground by kneeling on his neck.
Police officers fired rubber bullets and deployed tear gas on hundreds of protesters outside of San Jose’s City Hall Friday evening as people chanted “F— the police.” People screamed, “Gas, gas, gas” as loud flash bangs could be heard and smoke filled the air near Fifth and Santa Clara streets.
At least one officer was injured during the protest and was taken to Valley Medical Center, said Mayor Sam Liccardo. The officer’s condition was unknown. Several arrests were made, Liccardo said.
Dozens of people keeled over, coughing, and poured water into their eyes. Some protesters weaved throughout the dense crowd, shouting, “Water, who needs water?”
Kiara Topete, a 19yearold from Milpitas, said she was standing in front of police when one shot her with a rubber bullet in the shin.
“I didn’t do anything, I didn’t throw anything, I didn’t pose a threat to them, they just shot me,” she said. “It burns. It really hurts, I’ve never felt anything like this.”
Several people picked up spent gas canisters and water bottles, hurling them toward the line of police blocking City Hall. Police responded by deploying more tear gas and firing rubber bullets.
Outside City Hall in Oakland, a couple of hundred protesters were gathered, some spilling out onto 14th Street, near the intersection of Broadway, to block traffic. People chanted, “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace.”
Some people held signs that read, “Justice for George” and “I can’t breathe.”
Brianna Noble, 25, from Oakland, rode a horse down Broadway with a cardboard sign that read, “Black Lives Matter.”
“We’re just bringing some attention to the issue at hand in a positive, nonviolent way,” Noble said. “Horses bring attention.”
Corey Murphy, 44, of San Jose, held a sign in Oakland that read, “Hands Up Don’t Shoot.” He said it’s “ridiculous that we’re still going through this.”
“We’re just sick and tired of being sick and tired,” he said. “We’ve been asking for help. Nobody’s listening.”
Police drew their batons and formed a barrier near the police headquarters at Seventh Street and Broadway. “Why don’t y’all come stand with us?” one person asked the officers.
The action came on the same day the nowfired Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged with thirddegree murder and manslaughter in the horrific death, which was caught on video. In the video, bystanders can be heard pleading with the officer to get off of Floyd to no avail.
Floyd became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead.
Chauvin, 44 — the officer seen in the video kneeling on Floyd’s neck, was one of four officers at the scene who were fired. Minneapolis police said the officers were responding to a report of an alleged forgery, and that Floyd resisted arrest.
The case has incited riots in Minneapolis and civil unrest in cities across the United States.
In Minneapolis on Thursday night, demonstrators filled the streets and rallied for justice in Floyd’s death, the Minneapolis police’s Third Precinct headquarters was set ablaze, and President Trump announced he was deploying the National Guard to respond to assist local law enforcement.
Ahead of Friday’s protest in Oakland, the city’s Police Department said Thursday that they had increased staffing to “facilitate freedom of speech, while also maintaining public safety.”
Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff ’s Office, told The Chronicle on Friday afternoon that officials are coordinating the “law enforcement mutual aid response” for Oakland and plan to “bring in substantial resources if the need arises.”
“We are closely monitoring the situation on a minutetominute basis as these situations can rapidly evolve,” Kelly said. “We are hopeful the protest will be peaceful and nonviolent.”
Oakland Mayor Libby
Schaaf described Floyd’s death as a “killing” and a “nauseating act of government violence against a black man.” Oakland interim Police Chief Susan Manheimer said in a statement Thursday that she joins the “community in denouncing this incident and all incidents of police brutality.”
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott and San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia joined Oakland officials in condemning the officers’ conduct, each calling the incident disturbing and not consistent with the values law enforcement is taught to uphold.
Chronicle staff writer Rachel Swan contributed to this report. Lauren Hernández, Megan Cassidy, Matt Kawahara and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle. com; megan.cassidy@sfchronicle. com; mkawahara@sfchronicle. com; sravani@sfchronicle.com