George Floyd protests: Oakland applauds night of peaceful protests with no arrests

KGO logo
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Oakland highlights night of peaceful protests with no arrests
"No arrests, no citations and no reports of violence, damage, looting or burglary": The city of Oakland says protesters exemplified the city's long tradition of raising community voices "without violence, destruction or mayhem."

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The city of Oakland issued a statement, highlighting a night of peaceful protests in honor of George Floyd and against police brutality.

There were no arrests Tuesday night at the site of two demonstrations that "exemplified our city's long tradition of raising community voices in protest without violence, destruction or mayhem," the city said in a statement.

Oakland's curfew, requiring residents to stay in their homes from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., went into affect after roughly 60 people were arrested over the weekend for crimes ranging from suspicion of shooting at officers, vandalism, looting, and possession of firearms.

RELATED: Bay Area cities implement curfew after George Floyd protests turn violent with looting, vandalism

Tuesday night was a different story. Police did not enforce the curfew order because protesters were exercising their First Amendment "in a peaceful manner," said interim police chief Susan Manheimer.

"The curfew is a flexible tool that will be applied with discretion when dealing with crowds that create public safety threats or that require extraordinary resources after dark" said Manheimer. "It will allow those resources to be to where they are needed to rapidly respond to critical calls for service and protect our city."

RELATED: George Floyd protest: Photo shows vehicle suspected in connection with federal officer's death in Oakland

Tuesday's demonstrations included a protest at Fruitvale Village at 5 p.m. Officials say about 150 people marched peacefully around the Fruitvale District before returning to their starting point at about 6:15 p.m.

A second group gathered shortly before 4:30 p.m. near the Oakland Police Administration Building. According to officials, demonstrators marched around downtown Oakland on 8th Street, Oak Street, 17th Street and Broadway to reach Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. Some of the protesters gathered in front of the Oakland Police Administration Building.

"The group remained peaceful throughout the evening and dispersed shortly after 10 p.m.," said the city in a statement.

"There were no arrests, no citations and no reports of violence, damage, looting or burglary. This allowed OPD to re-deploy resources throughout Oakland for service calls and high-visibility patrols in various neighborhoods to deter crime and restore calm and stability to our community."

Take a look at the latest stories and videos about the investigation into George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.

RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS: